A Little Help From Our Friends
by WhateverNever
Summary: Kanji and Naoto are both pretty hopeless at love. Can anyone else on the team help them out? Some nice simple Kan/Nao, with some of the language you'd expect from our favourite tailor.
1. Kanji and Naoto- Setting

AN: Hi, thanks for stopping by! Just some Kan/Nao going on in here, which I hope you'll like. Gotta say thanks to zero-damage, I mean, Shortest Distance is just amazing, and got me to start writing, even if it's just a little, so I guess I'm just riffing off that.  
So, yeah. Hope you'll enjoy what I've cooked up.

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The school library was the best place to prepare. It was guaranteed to both be quiet by the hallowed rules of school law, and have the absence of a particular ruffian, who was the source of much confusion in the young girls' life. But now, at least, she had resolved to take action upon it.

Naoto was sat, a whole table to herself, which she had covered in notes, small scraps of knowledge she had managed to put together, on both her subject, and her methods to approach him. Little pieces; 'Aiya's- Acceptable food, but perhaps too loud', 'Gifts- Only allowed in certain contexts- see calendar reference'. Naoto didn't know much about romance, only small snatches from her vast collection of mystery novels, which remained limited at best. When the detective in the story became, _intimate_, with a key witness, in the past she had only sighed, and noted down the author, both to avoid their novels in the future and send a letter chastising them for sullying a mystery with such an unnecessary and tedious side plot. Now however, she found herself pouring through the novels that had made their way into her blacklist, which now resonated unsettlingly with her. She couldn't exactly place when her feelings changed, but nonetheless, she desperately hoped what she knew was sufficient.

She looked at other sources too- a detective could never be over prepared after all. Souji's manner with his rather impressive number of female friends, for example. Perhaps, if she was as direct and patient as he was, this would work. Hone in quickly, ask the one question that mattered, and work with the affirmative or negative given. Though the idea of the latter scared her, the mere chance of the former happening made her heart flutter. _No, _she thought indignantly, _A Shirogane's heart does not 'flutter'_. Nevertheless, the scowl faded away, and the creases in her forehead began to relax. She could see the changes within herself affecting her behaviour, but sometimes, it was welcome.

And then she moved, her binding feeling tight on her chest, and the frown returning. _Damn_. Her gender had once again made matters more difficult. Seduction worked with the male leading, a notion society had ingrained on the population over the last few centuries, and the female, being oh so impressed by his display, had no choice but to succumb to his advances. She was surprised at how spiteful she had sounded, but sudden bursts of emotion were becoming perturbingly frequent as of late. And this was when the change was unwelcome, when she decided she must have some kind of illness, affecting her better judgement, one with no cure, apart from following through with a probably bad idea.

Sighing, and glancing half-heartedly at the paper sprawled across the surface, she stood up. She had arranged to meet her target (_Stop referring to him as you would a suspect, Shirogane)_ soon, and she had budgeted time to compose herself. Cramming wasn't particularly helpful in this instance either. Slowly, methodically, she returned the notes to their position in their designated folder, which discretely matched all the others in her briefcase. She firmly gripped the handle, and, taking deep breaths, began to walk to the lockers.

Kanji meanwhile was staring at the wall long after the bell had signaled the day had finished. The classroom was mostly empty, and breaking out of his trance, he locked eyes with the last student making her way to the door. She squeaked, at the high pitch only schoolgirls and small rodents can manage, and scurried out of the room. **So**_, _he thought, **That's still the way it is, huh**? The boy who was turning a substantial profit on making stuffed animals was still just Kanji Tatsumi- Big, scary, and definitely not the type of person you'd would want to associate with. He couldn't blame her, it wasn't like he wanted people to know about that part of his Mom's business in the first place, but it still stung regardless. Those tired old issues were always fuzzing up his head, but thinking of fuzzy, his mind wandered to what he was doing with the next batch of soft material he'd ordered from Okina. Maybe he'd start doing little mix and match accessories like he said he would. Old man Daidara could even make him some badges and pins and stuff. **Nothin' sharp or nothin' though**, he decided. **Don't wanna hurt any kids n' all**…

Wait. He looked around. He couldn't get sidetracked, no matter how bitchin' the outcome would be. Why was he still in here again…? Oh right, he was thinking about 'meeting' he was called to. Why couldn't she call it hanging out like a normal person? So damn formal… Even the text, '_I have a matter I need assistance with. Meet at the river after school', _with no abbreviations whatsoever. He still found it undeniably cute though, which of course reminded Kanji that this 'meeting' may be the most important event of his life so far, as it was every time he found himself was near her. Pure hysteria took hold; hyperventilation, wide eyes, sweaty palms, the works. Fortunately, he'd gone through this at least five times in the last 24 hours, so his recovery time was a remarkably quick ten minutes.

Heart rate now in the triple digits, he recited the mantra he had stolen from one of Senpai's 'Man's Life' books back to himself. "Today is the day. This will be simple. You just have to say it. Be a man!"Its' effect was remarkable, and, checking his watch, he got up, and strode to the exit. Today had to be the day, right?

For some reason, neither of them had anticipated their paths crossing prematurely at the school gate. The both froze, exhaled, and proceeded as they had individually rehearsed.

"Yo, Naoto." Kanji's greeting was suspiciously casual, but the girl who could usually pick up on those things was busy working on her own.

Her reply, she decided, would be a curt nod. Formal and familiar. "Kanji-kun."

"So…" Kanji scratched the back of his head awkwardly, trying to think of a good opener. "What's with this meet? You said you needed help with summit'?"

Naoto was lost, scanning the boy opposite her up and down and still finding no logical reason why it was him of all people that had fundamentally changed so much of what she thought about herself. But that was an old topic. Action took precedence now. "Hmm? Oh yes… There was a fabric sample from a crime scene my grandfather sent over. I thought you might be able to offer some insight as to where it came from." This was a lie, of course. Evidence should never be offered to civilians, the assistance of her friends with the case of the TV world none withstanding. The evidence here was just a talking point, something her research had insisted as a necessity, something both parties had a common interest in. As such things were few and far between, she went for something less conventional. A scrap of a dress, ripped from an old doll that had been an unwanted constant throughout her life. Considering Kanji's affinity for textiles, and her love for investigative analysis, presenting it as a piece of evidence seemed a neat way to get things moving on the conversation side of things.

"You serious?" The punk was amazed. His weird little hobby could be useful, even to someone as great as the blue haired detective? That gave him a buzz, which was unfortunately counteracted by the pressure that it could be true. "Err… You sure about this? This sounds pretty serious, I'm sure my Ma could do better job…"

Naoto looked at him quizzically. She never considered this approach could intimidate him. She had seen his handiwork, and it was rather sublime, by her standards of needlework at least. _He places so much doubt upon himself_… the detective thought sadly, and then realised she had just left him standing. "No, no, I'm sure you'll be, um, sufficient." The last word went higher, like it was a question, and she chastised herself. _Composure is key, Shirogane. Composure is key._

Kanji was also pouncing on his lack of self-belief, internal monologue raging. **Come on man, get it together! Girls like it when you're confident, right? Don't screw this up! **He puffed his chest, and pointed to himself in a move with much more goof than bravado. "Well, I'm you're man! Whaddya got for me?"

Startled by his sudden change of tone, and suppressing an insufferably goofy smile of her own, Naoto began to reach into her coat pocket, but stopped before the scrap was presented. This was an exercise in her telling him how she felt, if such tumultuous set of emotions could be put into words. The setting wasn't appropriate. "I think we should go somewhere quieter. The evidence could get contaminated in an urban centre."

Whilst Kanji thought 'Urban Centre' was a stretch to describe anywhere in Inaba, he bought the rest, and even thought it could work for him. Away from everyone else, he might finally take that first step. "Yeah! I mean, uh, whatever you say." He thumbed to the exit. "You said we were gonna meet by the river right? The shelter should be empty right about now, wanna get movin'?"

Naoto nodded, and they left together. They walked side by side across town, somehow more comfortable with each other than they had ever been at this proximity, the nervous energy they usually felt between each other dulled for some unknown reason. They were enjoying their silence, stealing glances whilst the other's head was turned, with their minds going in similar directions. _Perhaps I should just say it now, strike quickly, gauge a response and react accordingly. _**You should totally just go for it. Come on! Do it do it do it-doitdoitdoit?**

But they both held back, fear oddly beating the pair, whose feats included catching a murderer and defeating a god. They reached the river disappointingly quickly, and walked to sit at the table under the shelter. The area was deserted, exactly as they had hoped, no distractions could get in the way. Their eyes locked as they sat on the bench, Naoto's mouth becoming suddenly dry, and Kanji's brow beginning to glisten in perspiration.

_You've been in situations _more dire _than this, which you resolved with ease. This is nothing. _But it was something, something bigger, both pushing her forward to take the leap, and holding her back from the ledge. She nervously reached for the fake evidence, hoping the façade of a case would buy her more time, and placed it on the table between them.

Kanji moved his gaze to the fabric, with disappointment. While Naoto was worried it was from him expecting more, in fact he was just yelling at himself in his head. **GODDAMNIT THAT WAS A MOMENT ****(maybe)! TAKE IT NEXT TIME JACKASS! **Desperate for something else to focus on, he grabbed the tattered square on the table. "W-w-well…" he stuttered, passing it between his palms. It was white, although dirty, with a chequered pink criss-cross design. He stared at it so intently the less rational side of Naoto's brain was worried it was gonna burn. "It's polyester, and it sure as hell isn't as good as any we sell. Feels too rough and it's a little too thin. The pattern on it's real small, too small to make much sense on a dress or something… Maybe a cloth or a handkerchief…" He paused. "Actually, the ways the frays go on the edges make me think it was something smaller- OOOooh! From a doll, it's gotta be from a doll!" He smiled triumphantly, and sniffed the fabric, recoiling in slight horror. "Yeah, this has to have been from some kid's toy. Smells like they never wanted it away from 'em, even to get washed, poor little bastard..."

_Stunning, _she thought, sidetracked from her worries, _In his element he is completely brilliant. _She reminded herself to never underestimate him, despite appearances. "Impressive," she murmered, "Absolutely correct…"

"What?" In the stillness of the riverside, he had heard what she'd said. "You already knew all that stuff?"

Naoto was floored. "I, well…" _Why didn't I predict this? Such a rookie mistake…_

"So what was this, huh? Some stupid test?" Kanji's voice got louder, and combined with his large frame it couldn't help but be threatening. "I thought I was actually helping!" His offense at this would normally be minor, but the anticipation and disappointment from all the things left unsaid between them amplified his frustration. "Where do you get off pulling this kinda crap Naoto?"

Speechless, she scoured over her previous plans, to find something to calm down the blonde beast beside her, but nothing was apparent. Another small lie was the easiest way to resolve matters. "You're right. I simply wanted to see the extent of your skills as a tailor." She sighed. "But it seems I have offended you, I apologize. In any case you exceeded my expectations."

Kanji had to admit being praised by freakin' Naoto made him feel much better, but he still felt a little bitter, in full knowledge of how silly that was. "Just… why man? Why not just ask me to make somethin'? Judge me on that? I'd give that a good shot." **Who am I kiddin', I'd give anything a good shot if you asked me… **he added wordlessly.

"Small evaluations such as this were a stalwart in my childhood. I'd forgotten my experiences were perhaps… Unique." The air felt heavy, pressing down on the two of them, the shelter doing nothing to hold it back. Their confidence of previous had been evaporated, and they were both on the same troubling line of thought. **_If we're so different, how is this ever going to work?_**

As if the weather hinged on the mood, a gentle drizzle of rain began to fall, unnoticed by Naoto and Kanji. The boy decided to try and break the tension. "It's okay, just… Don't try that kinda thing again, alright? I hate it when people are messin' with me."

"I wasn't 'messing' with you, I was merely-" Noticing the impetuousness in her own voice, she changed to a different tack. "You are right. I'll try and be more upfront and honest about my intentions in the future." The irony of that last statement wasn't lost on either of them, but the dramatic movie kiss Kanji played in his head, and the slightly more conservative version in Naoto's, failed to materialise.

Looking away, Kanji noticed the weather, giving him an unfortunate reminder. "Crap. Ma's out of town, and she told me to watch over some expensive cotton she left out in the air… I gotta jet. I'll catch you later, yeah?"

As the boy got up and carried himself away from the table, some unnatural courage sprang from somewhere deep within the detective. "Wait! Kanji!" He turned and looked at her, hope blossoming in his eyes. But the wild streak faded, and the girl only floundered. "I- well… I want…" She sighed, and kept the bigger words hidden, while only smaller ones came out. "Are we, um, 'cool'?"

The boy was disappointed, but he pushed a smile to the surface. "'Course we are. We'll never not be."

A half hearted wave marked his exit. Once he was out of her sight, he began to run to the store, partially out of frustration, partially out of the knowledge his mother's wrath knew no bounds when it came to the operation of Tatsumi textiles. **You chickened out man. What's it gonna take, dumbass?**

Naoto, left at the bench, was furiously rubbing her temples. Her meticulous planning had led to nothing, and she was no further than when she started. _It seems this particular problem is going to take more than my usual methods to be solved._

As the rain fell, as the distance between them increased, their thoughts intertwined, reaching the same conclusion. **_I really need some help with this…_**

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AN: See what I'm doing with the bold and italics? Kinda lame I know, but I kept finding doing the character's thoughts tricky, and I thought this was an interesting solution to make it easier for me.  
That's your lot for now, thanks for checking this out, and feedback is always appreciated. No idea when I'll be able to rustle out the next part, but stick around!


	2. Naoto and Yukiko- Learning

It had been a long time since Naoto had needed some 'help'. A long time since she had admitted to it anyway. When she was younger, she often asked her grandfather for small clues to find her way through the exercises he gave her, but as she learned and improved, she became more and more stubborn about solving the puzzles by herself. This became worse the older she became, as the dull and repetitive stream of condescending colleagues when she was on a case often were the opposite of help, preferring to keep a snide demeanour towards the girl who was twice the detective at half their age. Of course this only pushed her further, and by the time she was assigned to Inaba she estimated she was at least six times better than the average lieutenant at their job.

But, as little as she liked to admit it, Inaba had changed things. While she took comfort in the fact that the supernatural elements of the investigation would have made it nigh on impossible for her to have solved it herself, she always found herself stung by her own disappointment, that she didn't do it alone, that a group of high school students were needed to find the truth. Walking up the country road, she tried to clear the fog in her head. _If you didn't seek out their assistance, you would have never stopped the fog, and never become friends. _Two of those friends the reason she was slowly travelling along the rugged tarmac.

Kanji was the first. The feelings she had for him were only ever getting stronger, which amplified the unsettling worry she was feeling all too frequently as of late. It had spiked after her ill-fated attempt at the river three days prior. The fallout was not as bad as the nightmares in her head would have predicted, but their dynamic at school had changed somehow. Pleasantries were exchanged as normal, but the atmosphere was different now, as if the air between them was filled with gas, just waiting for a spark to send it all up in flames. This, by proxy, was leading her to the town's outskirts.

The Amagi Inn was as impressive as it was during her first visit. Pleasant, picturesque, and perfect, as according to the brochures. To Naoto, it was a fascinating example of early twentieth century architecture, and a reminder of the odd evening she had spent with the other girls in the group at the springs. Being the centre of attention due to the surprise result of the culture festival's pageant, and the added mystery of the boy's actions concerning Hanako Ohtani and Kashiwagi-Sensei, had created a fond, if slightly disturbing, memory.

Yukiko Amagi had shown a surprising amount of authority to that pair that evening. The almost regal heiress to the building before her, she carried an air of responsibility that was rare in others their age, besides herself of course. Considering the type of advice she needed right now, she seemed the most logical choice. Popular with the boys around town, something even the most rudimentary investigator could pick up on with constant gossip inside Yasogami high school, and with the right level of class to both be discrete and offer ideas that weren't crass.

Naoto hadn't opened herself up like this since Souji's coaching, and the thought of doing it again was terrifying. _You cannot be an island, Shirogane, _she calmly intoned to herself. _The matter will remain unresolved otherwise. _And unfinished business was unheard of in her family line. Exhaling, she walked through the large ornate doors, into the Inn's lobby.

Yukiko was patiently sat on one of the sofas within, and her smile broadened upon seeing her diminutive friend. She rose, and strode over to greet her. "Hello, welcome to the Amagi inn, where the waters are always…" She stopped, and scrunched up her face. "Sorry, it's been a long day; I'm sort of running on automatic right now."

Naoto nodded. "I can sympathise, Yukiko-senpai. Hours scrutinising evidence can lead to a similar affliction." The detective looked her friend up and down. She was dressed in a particularly elegant yukata, with an intricate red floral pattern on top of an almost peachy shade of pink, which indicated she had just finished her shift. "Shall we go somewhere more private?"

The heiress's grin returned, the more carefree variant she reserved for her friends, as opposed to the taut and practiced smiles her customers were granted. "Sure, my room's through the back." She gestured for Naoto to follow her, and she kept the conversation up along the way. "So how are things? Everyone at school's forgotten about the murders by now, have they quit all the 'detective prince' stuff too?"

"Mostly. But there are still some, um, letters, that find their way into my shoe locker…" Naoto had long stopped trying to find out who they were coming from, as easy as it would have been to. She moved to change the subject. "The case being forgotten isn't unusual. The public has a very short attention span when it comes to crime, especially when the TV coverage ceases."

Yukiko hummed in agreement, as the pair dodged through the hustle and bustle of the chefs in the inn's kitchen. "Guess we put it off air in two ways though, right? You know sometimes, after a late shift, I still check the channel doesn't come on…"

While Naoto wouldn't admit it, she had done the same on a few occasions. There were still some aspects of last year that remained unexplained, a problem that would probably irk her to the grave. They carried on walking down a surprisingly lengthy corridor, stopping a door that was completely out of place in such an old building. While the same design as the others, it had been covered with photographs, chronicling her friend's life from birth, to the most recent image of the team at Junes. Naoto was quietly disappointed when the door was opened and she was ushered through. It was a fun exercise to piece a person's life together from snapshots.

"So," Yukiko started, sitting on the edge of her bed, "What's wrong?"

The detective raised her eyebrows, feeling slightly defensive. "Wrong? Nothing is 'wrong'. Where did I ever give that impression?"

The heiress tilted her head. "Let's face it, you're not exactly the most… um, friendly, person we know," she said, looking pained as she let the words out, "But that's fine, everybody's got their own little quirks. So I figure something must be up for you to want a one on one with someone. Don't be embarrassed, even an ace detective can't do everything on their own, I mean, I can barely help with the Inn without the rest of the staff looking out for me."

_Damn, _she cursed, _even she can read me like a book. _The quicker the matter was resolved, and thus her emotions more controllable, the better. "I came here because I need some advice on a sensitive matter. I feel your… experience and discretion could be invaluable."

"Experience? What are you talking about?" She thought for a while, Naoto hoping she'd come to the correct conclusion so she wouldn't have to say it. "Hmmm… A bad guy is running a crooked inn and you need someone who knows the ins and out of the business?" She snorted. "The ins and outs of an inn…Hah!"

"Of course not, that's absurd." The tone of her voice was sharper than she intended, sensing the incoming of one of her friend's insufferable laughing fits.

It did the job of curtailing it though, and Yukiko rested her head in her hand. "Well… There's nothing else I can really do, so what would you need me for? Not that I'm useless or anything, I'm learning all this stuff about job licences, and my cooking's gotten much better." Her eyes lit up. "In fact, I have some leftovers I need a second opinion on, let me get some for you!"

Suddenly excited, the girl quickly left to obtain whatever gruesome dish was in store for her smaller friend. Left alone in the room, Naoto wrung her hat in her hands. Perhaps this wouldn't be as straightforward as she thought. Maybe she should leave, and resolve this on her own. _It didn't work before. Repetition is pointless._

Sighing, and taking the seat at the desk, she scanned the room. Like the door leading into it, it was covered in mementos. Photographs, old toys, jewellery, books, clothes, all strung around in a haphazard fashion. Naoto was torn between being impressed by the sheer volume, or horrified by the lack of organisation. Her own room, indeed, her whole abode in Inaba, was bare, save for a framed photograph of her with her grandfather, on her desk. The picture of her parents remained in a drawer.

"Here we are!" Yukiko announced, bursting back into the scene so suddenly Naoto almost let her hat slip out of her fingers. Yukiko snatched it away, and replaced it with a Tupperware container, filled with what may have been a curry. The rice had been dissolved by the sheer volume of sauce, and the chicken didn't seem to have fared much better. "Dig in; it's not getting any warmer!"

A protest would have been spluttered, but a fork was thrust in front of her with such intensity she was barely able to suppress a yelp. Looking fearfully at the chef, who had a hint of madness in her eyes, Naoto stabbed the mush blindly, and scooped some into her mouth before survival instinct could take hold.

Yukiko looked oddly at her short friend, who had remained motionless since the food had entered her mouth. "So… It's that bad huh?"

Gulping, Naoto avoided making eye contact. "It… had its faults. For one, a meal like this needs more than thirty seconds in a microwave to reheat." Years going from hotel to hotel had taught her that much about food. "Other than that... I'm not sure if I can place it."

"Hmm… I played it too safe, right?" The girl nodded resolutely. "Otherwise you'd definitely know what was wrong."

Naoto nodded back slowly. "Yes, that appears to be correct. I'm sorry Yukiko-senpai."

She just laughed back. "It's okay, Naoto-kun, I think I knew that while I was making it. I was trying to keep it simple, practice the actual recipe." She grimaced. "Though it looks like I went overboard on the sauce…"

"The ratio of liquids to solids in that mix were not… ideal," The detective finished lamely.

"Stop pulling your punches like that," she said, smiling brightly. "How else am I going to improve?" She thumped her fist into her palm. "Next time no compromise. I'll listen to my intuition, and throw in whatever feels right." She stared at the wall, her train of thought derailed. "Sorry, I've been rude. You're here for something you had a problem with, not to try my cooking. How can I help?"

Naoto took a deep breath. "Well, it seems that I, hmm…" Talking about something that you're not sure you understand is difficult, especially when it's a topic you never imagined yourself needing to handle. "You see, I…" _Out with it, Shirogane. _She gulped. "I have a, _crush_," she gasped, blanching.

Yukiko processed the information. She began to speak, stopped, and once again took a seat on the side of her bed. "You have a crush? As in a crush _on_ someone?" Realising she should be trying to keep things normal, she relaxed herself and spoke clearly. "Okay. Can I ask who it is? Do I know them?"

"No no no. It someone you've never met…" _We are trying to be open, remember? _She grabbed her chin nervously. "I apologise senpai, that was a lie. It's Kanji-kun."

"Kanji-kun…" Yukiko pondered silently, Naoto expecting her to burst into laughter any second, and why shouldn't she? Her being with Kanji was a ridiculous notion, a notion she wished could beat the odds, every waking moment. Eventually, her friend nodded. "I guess I can see that. Why come to me though?"

"W-well. There are certain… factors." Naoto was stammering, but with each word, talking became easier. "You've known him for the longest- I heard you were friends when you were younger, you have a degree of experience in these matters, and I know I can trust you to be… discreet."

Yukiko beamed, proud to be considered trustworthy by the girl whom at one point made frost seem warm by comparison, but was troubled by the earlier part. "Experience? What's that supposed to-"

"You are well regarded by the males around school," Naoto cut in quickly before any offence was caused, "I merely wish to know how you accomplish that. I'm not trying to say you are promiscuous."

"P-p-promiscuous?!" Her eyes widened, and she began to splutter, before remembering this was Naoto, who never talked easily, and only ever spoke impolitely out of ignorance of social cues. She folded her arms protectively. "Well I most certainly am not. And as a matter of fact I have no idea what it is I 'do', exactly."

"None?"

"Yeah. I have no idea what happened, guys were suddenly just sorta… interested. There's certainly nothing I _try_ to do."

"That seems farfetched. The atypical female fantasy is to be doted upon by her peers. You're implying that, in your case, this came of its own accord?" This worried Naoto. _If these things are supposed to come naturally, why am I finding it so difficult_? Following from that, came an unwelcome thought, which made her stomach churn with an unfamiliar fear. _Is something… wrong, with me?_

Yukiko scoffed at her friend. "Please. The attention really isn't a positive for me, and you think I try to get it? I like 'The Amagi Challenge' just as much as you like 'The Detective Prince'," she said coldly, a hint of venom in her voice. "Most of the town will only ever know us by those weird nicknames and whatever gossip reaches their ears. I bet they don't even think of us as actual people." She sighed, shaking her head with disappointment. "That wouldn't help you anyway, I doubt Kanji-kun has a typical list in what he likes in a girl."

Naoto snapped her head up. This was what she was here for; Cold, hard, facts on Kanji, which she could use to her advantage. "Can you elaborate on that last point?"

"Well…" Yukiko was worried, torn between helping the poor, confused girl right in front of her, or rampantly speculating about one of her oldest friends most private thoughts. A glance at Naoto, who had clearly left most of her confident poise at the door, pushed her to make a decision. "You know he's not good with girls, or with most people in general. But that's been only really since the end of elementary school. He was pretty well liked before then."

Naoto listened intently, hoping to take in every scrap of useful knowledge. "What changed?"

"The rumour was he stitched together a girl's bag for her after it was torn, and she just made fun of him for it. Poor Kanji-kun, he must have felt so humiliated, all from trying to be helpful…"

Yukiko's pensive silence was unnerving, so Naoto politely coughed. "Please, continue."

Yukiko shrugged. "There isn't much more to tell. No-one saw him all summer after that, and once we moved up to middle school he started talking back to teachers and giving everyone angry looks, even me. Chie threatened to 'teach him some manners', actually." She smiled sadly. "I guess that's one good thing from the case. I thought I would never talk to him again…"

Naoto raised a blue eyebrow, unconvinced. "So, you believe this one incident had such a large effect on him?"

Yukiko looked back at her quizzically. "Of course, don't you remember his…" She paused. "Oh, right, you weren't there when we fought Kanji's shadow..." She smiled uncomfortably. "Let's just say it made it pretty obvious. So for now, I don't think he's interested in the usual stuff, like hair, makeup, and whatever."

Naoto considered this quietly, deciding she was better off knowing as little of the shadow as possible. She decided to follow her earlier plan and be direct. "What steps do you think I should take in this case?"

"I can't give you anything specific…" she hummed, and then winked. "Luckily, that makes it easier. Just do what's natural."

Naoto was unimpressed. "Define 'natural' in this instance."

"Normal then, I guess. Be yourself. It does wonders for me apparently, and I don't even want it."

"But," she said, sounding more helpless then she liked, "That hasn't _worked_ so far."

"Because 'natural' for you is treating him like a suspect in one of your cases, right?" Shock flashed through Naoto's face as the words rang true, while Yukiko replied with an expression that mirrored her own. "Wait that's it!? I actually got something right?"

"That is just… completely… absurd and unfounded." The denial was the automatic response, but the tone, which was on the edge of a shriek, left it a weak one.

The light tension in the room had accumulated, and pushed the heiress to one of her sillier moods. "And I worked it out all by myself! All hail Yukiko, DETECTIVE QUEEN!"

Yukiko proceeded to topple onto her bed in a fit of giggles. Naoto's irritated sigh was ignored, inaudible under the high pitched laughter. As she watched the tears stream down the taller girl's face, it occurred to her how odd it was that crying could come from both joy and sadness. She knew the biological reason- that it was a physical response to help emotional wellbeing when dealing with overwhelming stimulus- but it seemed so counterproductive for one expression to have various polar meanings. It had been some time since the detective cried. The night of Nanako's supposed passing had brought her close, maybe even a few drops had falling from her lashes, but no one made any comment, besides Kanji's outburst, so she decided to pretend her eyes stayed dry, that she had stayed infallible.

_Kanji… _She couldn't imagine him in tears, much less in any kind of distress at all. His go to response was anger; Yosuke's teasing confirming this regularly. She wondered if that was because of how he likes to project himself, since the childhood incident she had just learned about, wearing the large skull and displaying the impressive amount of piercings just to match that image of himself. Or, perhaps, he really did have that much rage underneath the surface, always ready to leap out and do something drastic. Years of case files made her doubt that however. An angry person typically causes destruction around them without the slightest provocation. The way he handled the bikers, Hanamura, the rumours spread about him… Kanji is purely reactionary to the world around him. _Which explains his actions by the river_, she deduced. _He is constantly afraid people are laughing at him when his back is turned._ It was just as her friend had said. Treating him as a suspect, because that was all she really knew how to do. He had picked up on it somehow, bringing out his insecurities, which was bad for the both of them.

The laughter had died down, and Yukiko took on a more serious air. "Look, being like that is totally the opposite of natural. You have to be open with him, be a little more, you know, fluid."

Naoto exhaled, exhausted and exasperated. "I need to be considered trustworthy by him. It's the only way things can move forward."

Yukiko nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "That's great, I mean, it's not like it's that big a deal, we all know you two are pretty close already, right? You just have to take it that one step f-"

"Sorry," Naoto cut in, "What was that?"

It was tempting to Yukiko to speak out, and just tell her friend that she and rest of the team were already convinced Kanji reciprocated whatever she felt for him, and more besides, but she knew Naoto would never want this conversation to leave the room, and equally, want to take care of the matter herself. "You two were always pretty in sync in the TV word," she hastily began. "That's what I mean. Just be looser about it, go with the flow. You guys are teammates. Build on that."

That meant letting her guard down. But some sacrifices had to be made. Naoto looked at the heiress, thankful she pushed through her own usual headstrong self. "Looser?" She chuckled wryly. "A very crass choice of words senpai, I expected better."

"Stop it," Yukiko giggled, glad to see the detective finally looking optimistic about her chances. "Although, if nothing else is working, that could be worth a try…" Smirking at the scarlet she had unleashed across Naoto's cheeks, she glanced at her alarm clock. "So, do you think you're all set? I'm sure you have a lot of casework to get through, or whatever it is."

Her business was done, but oddly for her, she didn't wish to leave. "Not yet Yukiko-senpai; I noticed the pictures on your door and realised I know little of your early life in Inaba. I would like to learn more, if that's agreeable?"

Yukiko was slightly taken aback by the offer, and smiled broadly. "Of course! But on one condition, we make a game of it, I ask something, then you ask something back, okay?"

Naoto gave a satisfied smirk. "Yes, that is acceptable."

Amagi clapped her hands together. "Great! I'll go first. What was it like where you grew up…"

The game began, and as the girls began exchanging stories from their lives, Naoto, feeling much more knowledgeable about her subject (_Not suspect, _she reminded herself), began to feel a little confident.

* * *

AN: So, new chapter, woo! Hope you liked it. Might've spent too long going over it all, but that's just how I do thinks. See you for the next round!


	3. Kanji and Souji- Folding

"-so yeah, that's what's up." Kanji panted, out of breath. What had started as a greeting had turned into a rushed synopsis of everything that had been plaguing his thoughts recently, all on someone else's doorstep. He looked up at the boy in front of him, who was still holding the front door of his house open.

Souji eyed him carefully, coughing in an attempt to hide his own amusement. "So let me get this straight. There's a girl you have a crush on, but she lives out of town and I totally wouldn't know her so I definitely shouldn't even ask, and she makes you feel super confused and scared but you still want to ask her out regardless, even though you think you have no chance and she'll probably say no anyway and it'd be super awkward after so you should just forget it and run away to the circus?"

Kanji never remembered mentioning the circus, but he had been in a weird place recently, so it wasn't impossible. **Aaargh,** **I really need this to be over with dammit. **He desperately wanted to laugh it off, but all he managed was a meek nod. "Senpai… I really need some help on this."

Souji's warm smile put him instantly at ease. "You better come on in then."

The large youth clumsily crossed the threshold, and noticed Dojima reading a newspaper at the kitchen table on the way. Kanji couldn't decide if the half scowl was his natural resting face or if some news story had pissed him off. He began to wave, then realised he was in the man's house, and hastily put his hand away. "Uh… Hi, Dojima-san."

"Tatsumi." He grunted in reply, not looking up from the broadsheet. Kanji still expected the detective to arrest him every time their paths crossed, but since the end of the case, he hadn't had anyone from the police department on his back. He half wondered if Dojima had told everyone at the station to lay off, considering he knew he had at least _something_ to do with catching Adachi.

Souji beckoned Kanji upstairs. When they got to the landing he was rather impressed by the drawings Nanako had stuck on her bedroom door. They featured everything from mythical animals to vast landscapes, and more than a few featured her 'big bro' in some way or another, either front and centre, or tucked away in the background.

"You like them too?" Souji asked.

Kanji suddenly felt awkward, like those drawings weren't his to see. "Yeah, uh, I mean, the kid's talented. They've got some real colour to them, y'know?"

Souji hummed in agreement. "Yeah, she asks me to get good quality crayons whenever I go Okina. My favourite's the one with me on the dragon." He smiled. This gave Kanji an idea.

"You know, I should get her to design summit' for me to make. Haven't made her nothin' in a while…" He smiled awkwardly. "And it kinda gets boring just making bears n' stuff."

"She'd like that. Although…" Souji started, looking a little embarrassed. "Promise you won't put me on it, whatever it is. Drawings are one thing, but being immortalised stuffed felt is another."

Kanji chuckled. "I promise, senpai." Of course, he had already made an elaborate set of miniatures of the whole team, with mix and match accessories, but nobody really needed to know that.

Souji guided his guest to the end of the hall, where he opened the rather plain door to his bedroom. Kanji was immediately taken aback by the shelves and table, which were covered in paper cranes. He turned to look at their maker, who rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I'm still kind of in debt to Daidara. I like making cranes more than translating, so…"

"Debt?" Kanji was confused. They hadn't needed to visit the metalworks for weeks now. "What did ya buy offa old man?"

"Well, you know all the gear I gave everyone before we did our final run on Magatsu Inaba? I knew we were pretty prepared, but I wanted to make sure no one would get hurt, so I got us the best he had. And considering how we had to take on Ameno-Sagiri after Adachi, we're lucky I did." He shuddered at the alternative, and then gave Kanji a shrug. "He didn't need much convincing, we've given him more business than he ever had after all."

"So you've been doin' this for weeks?" Kanji snorted, shaking his head. "Ya should've asked us all for some cash, I know I'm good for it, and everyone but Chie-senpai has a job. We wouldn't complain or nothin'"

The grey haired boy raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? I didn't see anyone offering to pitch in at any other part of the case."

Kanji choked with indignation. "T-that's unfair! There was… A lot! Going on! With shadows and everything! Besides, you kept all the cash we punched out of 'em." His eyes grew wide. "Er… How much was that exactly?"

Souji chuckled dryly. "Let's just say it was starting to weigh me down. I spent it all before that last fight anyway."

"On what?"

"Taking people out gets pretty expensive after awhile. Ai and Rise especial-"

Kanji slammed his eyes shut and waved his hands. "Ok senpai I get it." Hearing rumours of Souji's private life was common around town (Even Hanamura frequently referred to his best friend's 'harem'), and while the last year had taught him that they are better off ignored, details were just plain dangerous. "Seriously man, I'll get everyone to pay you back. You got better things to do than make cranes."

"I can't say it wouldn't be welcome," Souji agreed, wincing, "The finger cramps are becoming a problem…."

"Great! I mean, uh, good. Not right for you to have all that going on." Kanji looked around blankly. "Well, if that's all you need, I guess I better get going."

Souji frowned. "Kanji, you came here for a problem you're having remember?" He whistled, impressed, and wrapped his knuckles on the taller boy's forehead. "This girl is really messing with your head."

"Huh? What are you- Oh god!" He slumped himself down on the faux leather sofa. "What am I gonna do man, I can't deal with this! I can't think straight and that was hard enough already!"

Souji moved around the table, cautiously avoiding knocking over the paper animals, to sit at his desk. He swivelled the chair to face his friend. "Well, I'd tell you to act natural, but clearly natural for you right now is not particularly coherent."

"I can't help it man! It's like she's up here and I'm down here!" He frantically illustrated the point with his hands. "And when I try to move up there I save something stupid and go down further, and then I'll hit the bottom and I won't be level with anybody!"

"Slow down." Souji's voice was calm and steady. "Breathe. Think through it step by step." He pointed to some stray paper on the table. "Make a crane. If you focus your conscious brain on something, your subconscious can usually find an answer."

Kanji wasn't usually for any of that self help mumbo jumbo, but when it was coming from Souji, it didn't sound stupid at all. He quietly took the paper, and began to fold a shape, listening to Souji continue.

"Acting natural is the right thing to do by the way. You've just got to be the natural when you're comfortable. When do you feel most relaxed?"

"When I'm sewing n' stuff." It came out without a moment's hesitation, and even after all he'd been through the past few months, there was still a small pang of shame when admitting it with someone else in the room. "Can't really see that helping out much though…"

"Sure it does," Souji soothed, "Girls like clothes, talk to her about fashion. Dresses, what's in this season, what she's wearing… trust me, it all helps."

"I ain't tryin' to be the gay best friend here, senpai." **Although, **Kanji thought, **It would explain a lot if that's how Souji approaches it. Could he really be… **He shook himself, regained his senses, and sighed. "No offense dude, but she isn't the type that loves all that crap."

Souji stroked his chin. "Hmm, I had forgotten who we were dealing with here…"

Kanji felt his temper flare at the comment, which only pissed him off more for letting it do so. "Yeah yeah, look man, I already know this whole thing is a bunch of bullshit so if you're just gonna say nothing'll work I'll just get on out of here and join the freakin' circus!"

"Kanji, stop." Souji's voice was firm. "I was talking about Naoto, not you."

That shocked him to silence. He opened his jaw to try and form some sort of speech, but he couldn't. The boy at the other side of the room watched him passively, giving him time to respond. What came out was rather sheepish. "I mentioned the circus again, didn't I?"

"Yeah," Souji murmured, "Not really sure why you keep coming out with that…"

"Think it's just a fantasy I got. Runnin' away, not having to think or deal with it." **Hey, that was kinda insightful. **Hegave Souji an apologetic stare. "Sorry, senpai, didn't mean to explode like that. Thought I grew up over the last few months…" He sighed. "Guess not."

Souji's grin was wise beyond his years (similar to his hair, actually). "Girls make everyone regress, especially when you think too much about them. Look at Teddie."

"And Hanamura…" Kanji added. He exhaled again, and asked the obvious question. "Is it that obvious? That I like her, I mean."

"It's not that bad." Souji's lie was unfortunate, but, he reasoned, required. He had seen Kanji change so much in the months he had got to know him, for the better, and wanted him to get through this new challenge on his own, without other people's throwing him off. "I know everyone in the team well, too well maybe. I just pick up on the little things. Don't beat yourself up; I did lead a successful criminal investigation after all."

Kanji bought it, and chuckled darkly. "I dunno man, can't take much pride in that. I think I'm an easier nut to crack than the case ever was…" He leaned back on the sofa, into a slightly defeated slouch. "What are the little things then? Chances are she'll notice 'em and do some deducing or whatever, and that's something I don't want to happen."

Souji frowned. "Surely that's what you want though, right? Once she knows, one of you would have to say something. That would get this over with."

Kanji shook his head. "I need to wait for the right time, if she was really freaked out, or if it comes out wrong… I just couldn't take it."

"Now, there's your problem. Why do you keep sidestepping around just asking her out?"

Souji's stare was almost accusing, forcing Kanji to slither down further in his seat. The reply was weak. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't, alright?" He paused, trying to keep his frustration in check. "Things don't work that way man."

"They do for me." This was said without boast or arrogance, the boy's face only filled with a sort of sad pity. "Whenever I'm talking to girls, scratch that, anyone, I start simple. I ask them if they want to do anything sometime."

Kanji digested this slowly, as if the concept was completely alien. "And what? That just works?"

"Yup. It's that simple. And," he added, pre-emptively raising his palm to stop the interruption, "It's not just a 'me' thing. Fact is, it'll work for anyone."

"That's what I can't believe, senpai." Kanji' could only look at his own lap. "Fact is, I'm always gonna be the weird-ass street punk, and you're the most popular guy in town. Everyone here loves ya, and all of that crap comes easy to you. I can't pull it off, not like you can."

"Don't worry about me. You shouldn't worry about anything, you don't need to." Kanji was about to argue again, so Souji got up, took the seat next to him, and placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Kanji. You are one of the most talented, toughest, and most trustworthy people I have ever met. Me, Naoto, and everyone else are lucky to be able to call you a friend. And if you want to be something more to her, I know you would do it, and what's more, deserve it."

The positivity took Kanji by surprise, and it hit him hard. He blushed, and forced a cough to keep his eyes dry. "I… I… uh. You didn't need to- I mean… Thanks senpai."

Souji smiled. "No worries, I always liked the truth." He made a bridge with his fingers, resting his elbows on his knees. "Here's what we're gonna do. I always felt better when we made a plan before going into the TV, we usually got more done as well."

"Huh? What are ya gettin' at?"

"I'm saying we should do the same for you. It's not going to be a play by play, but it'll help, keep you from getting flustered." He closed his eyes, collecting himself. "When did you last talk to Naoto?"

Kanji thought. "School, yesterday. Well, it wasn't really talkin'. I waved when I saw her in a class durin' break. Shit, then I tripped over buncha first years and totally lost it with 'em. Naoto must've seen 'em all bawling… Oh god, she thinks I'm a psychopath!"

"You're panicking again. Get back to folding." The large youth shot a stare like he wanted to argue, but he obliged nonetheless, and his eyes gave flashes of serenity as he began to crease the paper. "Continue."

"I guess things started getting worse a few days ago…" He quickly filled Souji in on his strange encounter with the detective at the river.

"Wow. That's certainly… Interesting." He was smart enough to deduce Naoto's erratic behaviour was due to reciprocating the feelings of the hopeless blonde in front of him, but also smart enough to know that information would probably make his head explode. Its one thing to be lovesick about somebody, another when it's two way street, and becomes terrifyingly real. His own plan was simple, and well practiced, seeing how many personal situations he had handled over the past year. Give someone a gentle nudge in the right direction, and they can usually solve the problem on their own. But this nudge might have to be more of a shove; Kanji clearly needed more than the prodding he had given him previously. "So, I don't think you can ignore it. Next time you see her, you just need to laugh it off, act like it wasn't a big deal."

Kanji nodded. "Yeah. I'm still confused about what went down; best we just forget it ever happened."

"No, that's not what I meant. You can't ignore it, or it'll be a weird thing hanging between you that gets in the way. Bring it up, crack a joke, and move on, she'll feel less embarrassed."

**Naoto could have been… embarrassed? **Kanji found it hard to believe. **No, she don't work that way, she's far too cool. Christ, she even let herself get kidnapped! And wasn't even sorry for it! **But he was here to listen to Souji, not ignore him. He grabbed for a sheet of paper on the table, and began to bend the corners. **Well, she did get pretty worked up with her shadow, hell, everyone did. Crap. Senpai's right, I need to treat her like a normal person. Ok, maybe with less attitude than I would with someone 'normal'. **He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'll… I'll try comin' up with somethin' I guess."

"Good, now, we need to think of things you can talk about with her, easy stuff."

"Like the weather?" Kanji asked dumbly. He could almost feel the shockwave of Souji's palm slapping his own face.

"No, real conversation," he said, rubbing his eyes. "Things you like, things she likes. Ask about her work, tell her about any projects you're working on. Talk about how the textile shop is doing, I think she has a thing for market trends."

The punk's impressive amount of self doubt meant he needed more convincing. "But I dunno anythin' about detectin' and stuff, and she won't give a damn about me making dolls."

"Sure she will. It's not about what you say; it's about how you say it. Yosuke can make everything in Junes sound wonderful when he needs to meet his sales quota. I'm sure if he can pull it off, so can you. Oh, and final point," he added, looking Kanji right in the eyes, "Don't talk about sad stuff. You want the focus to be on her for this, not on you moping about whatever's getting you down."

**That doesn't seem so hard,** Kanji hummed, **I hate sad crap anyway**. "…Yeah," he agreed, "That all sounds pretty good actually. I can do that."

Souji was satisfied. "Great! Remember all that, and you should be golden. Now the hard part. Text her."

The sudden order startled him. "Wait, now?!" He exclaimed. "Plannin's over already?"

"Everything starts by pulling the trigger." He was worried by Kanji's lack of motion, so he went a step further. "I recommend Aiya's. Cheap food, so crowded it's discrete, and," he winked, elbowing him in the side, "It's pretty close to your place if things go well." Kanji choked on air, so convincingly Souji slammed his back to stop him from suffocating. "I'm just kidding. Maybe."

The tall boy's breathing was deep and frantic. "You… Can't just… Say that kind of… -Shit, man, not helping."

Souji's brow showed real concern. "Sorry, I went a little far there. Do you want to go back to the cranes?"

Kanji's face hardened. "No freakin' cranes." He whipped out his phone and found Naoto in his contacts. He composed a simple message (_u free 4 aiyas 2moro)_, and without giving himself any time to go back on himself, hit send.

For a moment, he felt bliss, and then the terror seeped through. He was about to take some paper to actually choke on, but he was distracted by Souji's smile. "Good job, I knew you had it in you." It was dangerously contagious, and he returned with his own, filled with nervous energy. "Might want to turn your phone off. It'll make the next few minutes more bearable."

**Damn. Senpai thinks of everything. ** He hit the power button, and beamed brightly at the TV in front of him. Seeing Souji's reflection in the blank screen, he felt compelled to say something. "Thanks man. Not many people I'd be able to come to with this."

"There are, you just need to give them more credit. Although, as chief man-whore of Inaba, I am the most qualified in such matters." They both laughed. The smaller boy idly checked his watch, and his eyes froze. "Crap. Sorry, I've got to kick you out."

Confused, Kanji jumped to the first conclusion he could think of. "What did I do?"

"Nothing. I've just got a date to keep, and it's the kind I need time to get ready for."

"Huh. Who with?"

Souji's smile was determined. "A big, slippery customer at the heart of the Samegawa."

Kanji furrowed his brow, trying to solve the riddle. "Wait a sec; you're going on a date with Hanako Ohtani?"

"What? No," he chuckled, "Though she is a perfectly nice girl, once you get to know her. I've got a fish to catch."

"…A literal fish? Like, right now?"

"Rumour is he's only around for a short window of time." He placed a fist into his palm. "I've been getting closer and closer over the last few days, and I'm feeling lucky."

"O…kay." Kanji had never really got fishing. Why wait around for hours trying to catch one little guy who could barely class as a snack? Plus, the look they had in their eyes with a hook through their gills would fuel a weeks' worth of nightmares. A grin crept on the corner of his mouth. "So this is what you're reduced to when there ain't a killer on the loose? Paper cranes and fishin'?"

Souji shrugged, the smile still on his face. "Everyone needs a hobby."

**And you've got enough hobbies for everyone. **Kanji was quite proud of his silent retort, and satisfied, he stood up to leave. "I'll let you get to it then. Hope you nab a big one."

"Thanks. Good luck to you too." He nodded brightly. "You'll do great. I'm sorry to be rude, but you're gonna have to get to the door yourself, I've really got to get my gear sorted…"

Kanji shook away his concerns. "No worries, I'll see you at school." He left Souji's room, taking anther second to catch a glance of Nanako's colourful door. He thumped down the stairs, and turned to the front door, but caught Dojima's eye on the way. "I'm, er, going now. I'll see you around, Dojima-san."

He was about to make his exit, but the older detective sighed. "Look, I'm not sure what exactly you were talking about up there, but you were pretty loud. My advice, women are like a maze. They all want to be solved, but they make it as hard as they can, because they want someone worthwhile to get to the centre. You follow me?

This conversation felt way more uncomfortable than anything he'd sat through down at the police station. "I-I guess…"

"Right, but the thing is, it can always be solved. It just takes perseverance. Or a map I guess... My point is you have to never give up. And don't ever try to take shortcuts. You end up getting even more lost." Kanji nodded, with what might have been fear in his eyes. "And, uh, that's all I wanted to say."

The older man went back to his paper, and Kanji scuttled out of the exit, on the freaked out side of perplexed. Dojima sat dumbly, wondering why he had just given a known delinquent advice on his personal life. He saw his nephew come down the stairs, dressed in what might as well have been army issue fishing gear.

Souji raised his free hand in farewell. "I'm going out. Hey, what were you talking to Kanji about?"

"Things best left unsaid. Have fun at the river." Souji left, and Dojima was left alone at the kitchen table. He knew it was odd, but he had always had a picture in his head, of giving his son the talk about girls and how you have to manage them. But Souji had never needed any help in that department, and he didn't even want to think about the equivalent he'd have to go through with Nanako. So at least via Tatsumi he could tick that awkward experience off of his bucket list. He snorted. "Good luck, you poor bastard."

The punk himself was feeling good though. The sun on his back, taking off down the street, he began to feel like everything was falling into place.

* * *

AN: Yup, even Dojima gets on the advice train! This one's been in gestation for a little longer than I'd like, but exams are becoming more and more real. So, until next week (Read: Some point soonish) kids! Next stop- Aiya's!


	4. KN- Eating

Once again, Kanji found himself at the school gate, but this time actively waiting for Naoto. This was good. **Maybe if I keep it goin' as planned this time, things'll go my way. **School had been the usual drag. None of his talents were part of the regular curriculum after all, and Souji's gentle prodding hadn't made long division any more interesting. During exam seasons it was a different story- the prospect of a certain someone seeing his name at a point as how as her eye level on the results board terrified him into action. As a result, frantic last minute cramming had elevated his test scores to below average- a big improvement.

Especially considering how Naoto's introduction to the year had shocked the average up a few marks. While again, her specialities were not part of the usual school program, they were vastly more transferrable. Not that she was particularly appreciative of this. Currently, the detective was hunched over some notes on the roof, trying to evaluate the finer points of various battles that took place during the expansion of the British Empire, not that it was in any way an academic study_. _The exams set by the administration at Yasogami High were entirely focussed on the regurgitation random facts with importance arbitrarily placed upon them. This suited her, pouring over case file over case file had gifted her with a remarkable memory, so tests were a rudimentary exercise at best. _Although, _Naoto thought, _it is perhaps worrisome the country is teaching the next generation to be a flock of parrots._ Such an easy proposition thankfully left her much time for personal endeavours, such as studying the historical documents laid out on her left on the bench.

The greatest minds of the past were often employed as grand strategists, and she enjoyed trying to tackle their problems, like a game of chess, but with thousands of pieces. This was only a recent development however. She had noticed Souji's natural aptitude for strategy in the TV world, and decided to obtain a similar level of skill. _A_ _Shirogane must strive to become the best._ Speaking of which, a familiar shadow was cast over her text. "Seta-senpai." She greeted, without looking up from her text.

"Hey Naoto," he began, sitting on the clear seat at the other end of the bench, "How's things?"

"Perfectly satisfactory, thank you. I'm currently reviewing aspects of the British occupation of India; they were rather inefficient by all accounts." She tapped several points on one of the many maps in front of her. "Minor adjustments could have yielded much preferable outcomes."

"Yeah," Souji hummed, "Hindsight's a powerful thing, especially this far down the line. Seems like a pretty heavy subject though."

Naoto nodded. "There a lot of smaller nuances to a battle you have to consider that are essential to victory. I can walk you through it, if you'd like?"

"That not what I meant," he said, shaking his head. "An oppressive force, ruthlessly taking people's homeland, all in the pursuit of profit? It's just feels kind of dark to me…" Naoto pondered this for a second. Here she was, excitedly scouring through past events, not considering the personal tragedies surely held within them. _Do I lack basic empathy? _Souji looked back up from the floor before she could think this further. "Anyway, don't you have somewhere to be?"

"I'm not sure I follow…" Naoto replied, suddenly cautious.

"Aren't you going to Aiya's with Kanji today?"

The tone was light, breezy, but the content sent her mind racing._ Why would Kanji tell him this? This is a perfect ordinary thing for two people to do. Does he know I'm trying to make matters more… Intimate?_ _No, _she decided, _he must have talked to Kanji at some point, and it came out as part of some idle chitchat. _"Yes, that is correct."

Souji raised an eyebrow. "So why are you still here?" His brow felt almost accusing to the young detective, who began to shrivel up. She couldn't tell him the truth, that she was nervous, that she couldn't see an easy resolution. Yukiko knowing about the real extent of her feelings for Kanji was worrying enough. "You know, it's rude to keep people waiting."

Simultaneously, the Amagi heiress herself found the object of Naoto's affections waiting on the ground floor. "Kanji-kun!"

He smiled back at her gently. "Yukiko-senpai, how've ya been?"

"Great, thank you. How about you? Is the store faring well?"

"Better than everyone else in the district, but that's mostly thanks to the inn y'know." Yukiko blushed. It was strange to Kanji how much his family owed to hers, directly or otherwise. It made sense, the economy of the whole town owed a lot to the Amagi Inn over the years, but still, it was unusual how that wasn't given much thought, and how Yukiko was still considered to be only 'The Amagi Challenge'. "Hey," Kanji started, suddenly feeling as if a debt needed to be repaid, and not just about the shop. This girl helped save his life after all. "I'm headin' out for a bite at Aiya's," he continued, "Do you wanna join? I'll pay an' everythin', it's no big deal…"

"Oooooh, that would be fun!" She then thought of Naoto, sitting in her room confused and exposed. She decided to try and help more proactively. "We should invite Naoto-kun along! I'm sure she needs a break, she's always studying. Let's go find her!"

**Shit. **In his politeness he had forgotten that it was supposed to be a private meal, low-key so he might actually say what he needed to say. He backtracked. "Oh, er, actually I don't think I have cash to cover you…"

Yukiko's blank beam showed she completely missed the subtext. "Oh don't be silly Kanji-kun, I can pay for myself."

"Well, er, I mean…" He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of some way to take back his invitation. He stared at the ceiling helplessly.

Returning to the roof, the pair on the bench sat in silence. The grey haired boy decided to break it. "What's wrong? I find it hard to believe eating food that wasn't blasted in the microwave for a change could get you this worked up."

"Of course not," She snapped, "That's ridiculous." Naoto's voice was harsh, and Souji's response being a mere cocked eyebrow only infuriated her more. She breathed deeply, calming herself, and gazed at the concrete between her feet. "Senpai, I apologise. I cannot explain it fully, but there is a certain degree of… Apprehension, I am having, regarding this meeting."

"Meeting?" He chuckled. "It's just having a meal with a friend." He hated seeing her despondent like this, a shell of the sleuth she usually was. He knew, of course, that it might be the easier option to tell her the truth, that Kanji felt the same way she did, and the only thing keeping them apart was their own hopeless insecurities. But he also knew that would be cheating, in a certain fashion. If they overcame themselves to be with each other, it was a harder road, sure, but they'd both be stronger for it, as people, and as a couple, if it all worked out that way. So, for now, he decided to gift Naoto an alternative scenario, where she could project her problems from a safe distance. "You're still worried about what other people think? After all you've been through?"

For such an intelligent individual, she took the bait eagerly. "Yes, that seems to be correct." Lying mode her voice uneven, especially when she was saying the opposite in her head. _Of course not. The perverse curiosity of a few morons at a diner is none of my concern. _Butanything was easier than revealing the truth after all. So, gritting her teeth, she continued. "My… gender, has been a difficult subject for myself to understand. Bystanders, who have only heard ridiculous rumours, only make issues seem… Larger."

Souji exhaled. He hated having to skirt around the real subject, but that was the way it had to be done. "Perception is far too important to you. Maybe you'll have a bunch of people gawking at you while you eat, so what?"

"I disagree," she countered, "Perception is everything. How you carry yourself and what others interpret from that is essential to-"

"Only when you're trying too hard." Souji's interruption was harsh, but it made her pause. Seeing her cheeks begin to flush, he realised he had hit a nerve, and pulled back. "No offense Naoto, you are pretty great, as a detective and as a friend. But sometimes you have to go with the flow of things. Not spend hours and hours planning exactly what's gonna happen." He realised the irony in offering her the opposite advice he did to Kanji, but different people required different approaches.

"I'm scared." The words slipped out before she could stop them. _Now, at least, _she thought,_ I'm being honest. _Her eyes remained fixed on the floor, disgusted with the show of weakness.

"You shouldn't be. You've been through much worse. And you're ready alright, look at all of these." He gestured to the documents strewn over the bench, causing Naoto to slowly raise her head. "You have enough reference material. Anything changes, you switch your tactics."

The detective brought her fingertips together to consider this. "You're saying I should apply battle strategy to my insecurities?"

A wry smile crossed the boy's lips. "I might be. The point is, you're smart, and you know that. You'll know how to handle anyone if they give you a problem. Just get out there, and think on your feet."

She was already beginning to feel more ready to face the trial that lay before her. A little apprehension still broke through however. "But what if-"

"Naoto. You'll handle it."

She closed her eyes and nodded. "You are quite right senpai." She managed a small smile. At a frightening speed, she packed all of her notes into her briefcase. "Now, if you excuse me, I have an appointment to keep." Tipping her hat in a taut farewell, she walked briskly away from her friend to the door, and, once it had slammed shut, broke into a rather undignified jog down the stairs. Approaching the ground floor, she returned to her usual style of walking, and spotted her dining partner for the evening, animatedly expulsing about something to a rather puzzled looking Yukiko.

Kanji hadn't quite managed to get his well meaning friend to take her leave. Seeing Naoto at the foot of the stairs, he finally conjured a suitable excuse. "Oh right! Me and Naoto, we got a project we're working on. School stuff, first year's only. You'd probably get bored."

Kanji, flustered, was talking so loud the whole corridor could hear, which luckily today was only them and the chubby boy who was always staring out of the window. The shorter girl, walking up to the pair, wasn't entirely certain what the boy was doing, but her instincts told her to play along. She neatly slotted herself between them. "Good afternoon Amagi-senpai. Kanji-kun, should we be going now? We have a lot of ground to cover for this assignment."

Kanji exhaled in relief. Two people were much more convincing than one, though Yukiko was a notoriously naive customer already. The gullible girl clapped her hands together. "A project, that's exciting! We never had something like that when we were underclassmen! What are you researching?"

Kanji and Naoto locked their eyes and began to stammer. The latter spoke first. "The… Societal Implications…"

The tall boy tried to help out. "Of, er… Global warming…"

"In… Ah- relation…"

"To the levels of…"

"Carbon Dioxide…"

"In Animal Crackers."

Naoto subtly elbowed her blonde friend before he realised what he had said. He glared down at her, before remembering there was someone right in front of them. They cringed as Yukiko gave the pair a puzzled look. "I didn't think there was any relation. Unless I'm being slow again…"

Naoto decided the girl opposite her needed greater assistance understanding the message they were trying to get across. "Trust us, there is, and it's a very important issue. Just like our recent discussion; you were very helpful."

True to form, it was only then Yukiko grasped the subtext of the situation. Her eyes snapped between the pair, and settled somewhere in the middle. "Oooooh, right. I understand. Well, I hope you both enjoy your 'project'."

Fortunately, Kanji missed the girl's barely suppressed giggle on that last word. "We're not blowin' you off or anythin', just gotta do this, you know my grades right? We'll see ya another time, senpai."

Yukiko waved her hands. "Don't worry about me. I hope you guys make some real 'progress'." She then proceeded to practically shoo them out of the doors. As they left the building, Naoto, unappreciative of the needless implications she had weighed into her words, turned back to glare, which melted into a helpless gaze as she saw her friend solemnly mouth 'good luck'.

* * *

"This was rather fortuitous." The pair crossed into the diner, the larger of them hunched over the other in an attempt to minimise the effect of the sudden downpour they had experienced. Luckily, they were already in the shopping district when the heavens opened, so a quick shuffle down the street managed to keep her relatively dry. Naoto hadn't asked for Kanji to become her umbrella, and the foreign proximity between them was both reassuring and terrifying. The terror won out, so she neatly ducked and took a step away.

While slightly deflated at being shrugged off, Kanji knew what the water dripping off of his hair meant. "Oh you don't know the half of it!" He gestured to the man whose name was on the door, and thumbed to the window. "Two rainy day specials, my man."

He replied with a curt nod, while Naoto weaved her way to the table at the back of the diner. Kanji quickly followed, albeit with a fraction of her grace, mumbling apologies to the patrons as he nudged their tables and sent their bowls dangerously close to its edge. When he arrived, Naoto's greeting was a slightly raised eyebrow. "It seems that having as large a frame as yours is quite problematic."

"Oh, uh, yeah I guess." He scratched his head as he sat on the surprisingly comfy red seat. "It's not like I'm tryin' to be an asshole or anything, but I need a lotta space or I end up breakin' stuff. Better than bein' short at least."

His friends' eyebrow shot up an extra half centimetre. "What do you mean by that?"

Kanji was worried he had offended her, so he chose his next few words carefully. "I, er- well, it's more useful, right? Bein' able to see over crowds, reach stuff on the top shelf, be allowed on every roller coaster…"

"There isn't an amusement park for at least 100 miles," Naoto replied (she had researched a lot about the local infrastructure prior to moving in), "And many of those feature maximum height restrictions as well."

"Damn, they do? Hell, I haven't been to one o' those in years. What was your favourite ride?" She sat silent, but Kanji continued anyway. "Mine were the ghost trains; it was great making noises to really freak out the kids in the cart behind!"

Naoto's memories were blank, save for a faint image of her and her grandfather at a shooting gallery. "I can only recall taking part in the prize stalls. My grandfather could usually see through whatever underhanded methods the manager used to put the odds in his favour." She smiled. "We always won."

"For real? I remember my pops getting' angrier and angrier tryin' to get this pink bunny I wanted. Ended up grabbin' the fuzzy bastard and boltin'." He cringed slightly. "Ma was pissed at us for days…"

"You do realise," she teased, (_Teasing, _she scoffed half heartedly at herself),"You have just informed a practiced law bringer of past criminal misconduct?"

"Eh, I've done worse, you know that." His features turned expressionless. "It's not like you can nab my old man anyway."

The atmosphere sank faster than the girl's attempts at cooking. Naoto was left feeling uncomfortable, staring at Kanji, who in turn was staring into space. She had never seen him this contemplative before, and while impressed at the surprising range of emotion he seemed to posses, she felt like she needed to do something, say something. _Be open. Be honest. _"I never knew my parents." Kanji slowly turned to look at her. "My earliest memories are only of the aftermath of their accident. Perhaps my subconscious has buried the trauma…"

**Shit, we ain't supposed to be talkin' about sad crap. **He just had to mention his dad, didn't he? He needed to get back to the plan, back to lighter topics, safer waters, but an easy way out wasn't immediately apparent. "That's rough…"

"I've often contemplated whether that is actually the case." She gulped, afraid of vocalising her strange feelings on the matter for the first time. _But I trust Kanji, _she reminded herself. _This is as it should be. _Her speech was slow. "My grandfather was always the perfect parental figure. I suppose, you could say I only lost two strangers…"

"I, er, dunno." **Christ, this is getting heavy. **"Parents are parents. Pains in the ass, but they're pretty important." His eyes suddenly widened. "Not that I'm sayin' you're messed up without them or anything! I just think there's always… summit missing, if they're gone… doesn't matter how well you know 'em. You understand right?" His eyes were sadder than she had ever seen them, his expression growing harder by the second. "I mean, everyone else, they never had this kind of shit happen." He turned away and began to blink furiously. "It… It doesn't get any easier, does it?"

Naoto fought her suddenly trembling lips. Where had her usual composure gone? "Yes... That seems to be the case." _A mutual understanding of familial tragedy is not the greatest common trait… _But it was something. She spent long nights wondering if her mother and father would be proud of her, that she met the expectations placed upon her when she was born. Was she contributing something worthwhile to the Shirogane name?

Kanji did the same. The old man's last words still burned through his skull. He knew they weren't supposed to, that they were a throwaway comment, but they became the last thing his father ever said to him. Was he a real man yet?

**_I hope I am. _**The pair caught each other's eyes, but for once didn't break the contact. As observant as she was, she had never noticed how the grey in his eyes was similar to that found in the calm before a storm, with a cavalcade of winds billowing behind, invisible, but beautiful. He had never noticed just how brilliantly blue hers were, somehow deeper and brighter than any fabric he had ever worked with, or any jewel he had ever seen. Their hands wordlessly began to cross the table, unnoticed by their owners. They were coming closer and closer, and closer still, until-

"TWO BEEF BOWLS!" The ringing of the bell and the accompanying loud shout broke the spell between them. Their hands leapt off the table and landed firmly by their sides, while their necks both snapped to turn hopelessly towards the counter.

**The hell just happened? **"I'll, uh, go grab 'em."

_The fumes of the kitchen must have some adverse effect._ She straightened her clothes, smoothing her cap. As Kanji came back with the food, she was unable to comprehend the brown mess placed in front of her. There were no vegetables to speak of, and the noodles were unable to fight their way out of the dripping mass on top. To top it off, was a whole, solitary egg, as if there wasn't already enough protein. "So this is the dish Seta and Satonaka-senpai are always discussing?" She poked it with her chopsticks- it was so packed, the resistance almost sprung the wood out of her hand.

"Yeah!" Kanji's mood had switched to one of cheery excitement. "Ma never wants me ruinin' dinner, but I take a shot at it every once in a while."

He was inspecting the bowl with such intensity, Naoto questioned if she had ever seen him this determined. "'Take a shot'? What do you mean exactly?"

"Oh! You haven't heard? It's kinda like a challenge. Finish it and it's free. Chie-senpai says you just have to go for it. Souji says you gotta really think about it, y'know, consider all the angles and stuff." He squinted at the bowl for a few more seconds, and decided that violent efficiency was the way to go. He grabbed his chopsticks, and stabbed into the meat, bringing it to his mouth, and repeating the movement, with almost robotic efficiency.

It seemed strange to Naoto to turn eating into unnecessary competition, but who was she to judge attempts to push personal limits? Tentatively, she got hold of the smallest piece she could find, and took a bite. The beef was of a terrific quality she had to admit, but knew immediately someone as small as her would never be able to stomach the entirety of the huge offering before her. She resolved to eating slow, and being sure to catch Kanji while his mouth was empty. "Have any of you three actually succeeded?"

Kanji thought for a second. "Me and Chie ain't. Souji said he might have, but apparently afterwards he got some sort of food amnesia, so he can't say for sure."

"Food amnesia is not scientifically possible."

"It ain't?" He shrugged. "I dunno, Hanamura's always talking about the visions he had trying the food at the campout. He says he still has nightmares."

Naoto chuckled darkly. "I'm glad I wasn't required take part in that farce."

"Myoh nyeh." Kanji took a second to chew and swallow (**Idiot, this girl likes manners**). "You weren't in school for like, months. What'dya do instead?"

"I devoted my time to the case of course. If you recall my enrolment was only to obtain more information on the kidnappings."

He nodded. "Can't imagine actually choosing to do school though, It's just a drag for guys like me."

"Guys like you?" _Incredibly intriguing, surprisingly sensitive, and peculiarly… Pleasant? _There were a whole host of words Naoto could have substituted for the last statement, which would be much more accurate, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to lower herself to using terms featured in women's magazines just yet. "Yes, I suppose your abilities aren't celebrated by the current curriculum."

He nodded again, with more enthusiasm this time. "Whole thing seems pointless. I ain't gonna get better at numbers n' stuff than I am now, and havin' jerkass teachers on my back all the time just pisses me off." A smile crept on the corner of his mouth. "'Course, a genius like you probably loves it all, right?"

She replied with an overly dramatic sigh. "Kanji-kun, I find it as monotonous as you do." He postponed his eating, surprised. "Don't misunderstand, I like the problem solving found in mathematics, and believe that education is important, but they do not teach you how to think logically. Don't you notice how the questions in exams are just whatever drivel the teachers decided to witter on about over the last term? No reasoning, and no thought, required. My time could be better spent."

**Damn, she's more badass than I thought. ** Her outburst surprised him, but whatever she had just said, he agreed with. "Uh, well, Hell yeah sister!" He raised his hand for an impromptu high-five, feeling embarrassed mid way through, but she completed the gesture after a few unbearable seconds where she was trying to fathom its meaning. He caught another glance at her while he returned to his bowl, noting how adorably tiny she looked in comparison to her own. **Still cute though.**

The badass was now preoccupied at the optical illusion she saw in front of her. Kanji had been diligently working at his bowl, yet it still seemed to have the same volume as hers. Even now, as he scooped up yet more and more beef, the bowl only seemed to become more filled, if anything. "The portions in this dish are rather remarkable…"

Looking up, Kanji slurped a stray noodle into his mouth. "Wouldn't be the rainy day 'challenge' if it was easy."

"Rainy day…" Naoto murmured. "That explains a lot. The bovine population of the town would be dwindling if this was available every day."

"Eh? Oh, you mean cows, right?" Her polite nod in affirmation pleased him greatly. He'd learnt all sorts of fancy words since they met, which he needed to keep up with her. He looked over his shoulder, the rain pelting at the windows, louder than it had any right to be. "Hey, why is it always raining when we hang out?"

Naoto froze. **Crap. She's thinking about the river isn't she?**

_Damn it all Shirogane, why did you have to do something so stupid? _Her actions still bothered her. She kept replaying the embarrassing incident in her head, telling herself she was trying to learn something from it, when in reality she was wallowing- most unlike her, but she had been unlike herself for months now. _He must think me a fool._

**Gotta do something. **"Much nicer being here than by the river though." He quickly threw the line out, accompanied with a shaky smile. "That pavilion's pretty crappy; I still got, like, way damp."

She could tell what he was doing, making light of the situation, keeping her strange actions out of it, and while she was incredibly thankful, the need to apologise encroached again. "My actions then were not acceptable. I-"

"Jeez, don't worry about it, yeah?" He was slightly annoyed at her for being shaken by something so minor (**She's too tough for that, dammit**), but managed to sound understanding. "I know I've done weird shit in my time."

"I suppose…"

"Hey, I once beat up a buncha wimp-ass bikers because they kept my ma up a little too late. Your little freakout didn't put you on the cop's shit list at least."

Naoto considered this. "Do you ever feel… Bad, about your previous actions?"

He squinted for a second as he figured out what she meant, and proceed to rub his left shoulder. "Promise you won't think I'm a psycho or anything, 'k?" She nodded hesitantly. "I can't say I feel bad for those guys. Total a-holes, the lot of 'em. And gettin' them to finally shut up and realise how dumb they were, oh man, that felt gr-" He stopped, realising he wasn't making a particularly good case for himself. "But ya know how Ma reacted, and I didn't disagree wit' her. I just felt kinda, stupid. Kept wishin' I never went that far, like I cheapened myself somehow. But I can't change what happened, so maybe for once in my life, I can learn something from it."

It was very perturbing for Naoto how he was hitting all the right notes. Her own feelings of foolishness towards herself mirrored how he felt about his past misdeeds. He wasn't stupid, that much was clear. _But more than that, _she reasoned, _He was being completely open_. _Amagi-senpai was entirely correct._ This new piece of insight strengthened her. Honesty on her end had earned her trust from his end. _Stop making it sound like an exchange. _But the facts brought her to one conclusion. _Maybe this doesn't have to be so difficult. _"I completely understand how you feel, Kanji-kun. Thank you."She tried to contain the broad smile that wanted burst out of her for the sake of her own pride, but the exercise we so difficult she began to smirk.

The punk was both pleased and confused as to the restrained-but-gleeful reaction he had elicited from the girl across. "Thanks I guess, but uh, what did I do?"

Naoto's dignity was beginning to approach the low levels shared by her recent relationship counsellor. "I'm sorry. Just, thinking back to the river, a tattered piece of cloth is a rather silly conversation starter, isn't it?" Then she did something completely unexpected. She actually snorted, clasping both her hands over her mouth immediately afterwards, with a look of horror on her face.

"Did- Did you just…" Kanji had to catch the laugh rising in his throat; he didn't want to make her feel self conscious if he could help it. **She is so damn cute… **

But for once, inspired, Naoto decided to take something in her stride. "And to think, we just trained Yukiko to stop doing that…" The pair couldn't help themselves and descended into giggles (Kanji's being very manly, thank you very much). They relaxed in their seats, feeling more at ease than they had perhaps ever felt, listening to the sound of the still pouring rain.

"It's strange," Naoto thought aloud. "A few months ago, all rainfall did was promote stress and worry, that we wouldn't find the culprit in time." She closed her eyes. "It's nice to be able to enjoy it again."

Kanji, having resumed eating, nodded in agreement, although, truthfully, he had never checked the forecast during the investigation- he let the others tell him when it was time to bust heads. "I see what you mean. It makes sitting inside feel cosier."

"Or outside. I remember when I was younger, I always loved high places. I am rather fond of them still… I always took the opportunity on my grandfather's estate to scale the trees in the garden." She raised her left hand to illustrate her point. "Up there, when the rain was falling, you couldn't think. You just held on, feeling the water run all over, and became one with the world." She leaned back in bliss, immersed in her memory.

The boy in front of her thought her romanticised childlike vision sounded pretty amazing, however his more practical side didn't register well with the idea of standing somewhere high, cold and damp, with the always present risk of slipping off. He wouldn't tell that to Naoto of course, when would she ever drag him up a tree? "That's cool. I always went to the ridge across town when I was feelin' all deep n' thoughtful."

Naoto had been there herself, before she integrated with the group. When details on the murders were not forthcoming, she often took to wandering the town to clear the air, with a slight hope of coming across a new piece of evidence. "Inaba has quite a few spots like that. I'm honestly surprised at how familiar it all is now…" She smiled. "It must have been nice to grow up in such a picturesque town."

"Y'know what? I think I'm only really seeing the town this year. Can only really appreciate stuff when it's close to being gone right?" **So goddamn close, **he rued fearfully. **Fog, shadows, and Adachi can go suck a fat one. ** "'Sides, not like I can compare it to the city or anythin'. Say, Souji-senpai says he likes it here better than where he came from. What about you?"

"Here, definitely here." She said it fast; Kanji was here, so of course this was where she wanted to be. She tried to cover herself with a longer explanation. "I've been all over due to my work, sometimes for stretches as long as this. But Inaba is the only place I've ever felt… Settled. Welcome, even."

He couldn't help but smile at her response. If she liked it here she'd stay, and if she stayed, there was more chance of things well… happening. On that pleasant note, Kanji absentmindedly to check his watch. **Damn, Ma needed me back ten minutes ago. **He didn't want Naoto to think he was blowing her off, so he looked at the bowl, still seemingly intact. "Today wasn't my day; I barely made a dent in it. Wanna settle up?"

She couldn't disagree, her bowl if anything had gotten fuller. She reached for her wallet. "Yes, how much for the meal?"

He thought about offering to pay for her, but he knew it wouldn't end well. That, and the fact his pocket money never amounted to much in the first place. "Er, three thousand I think. Yeah, that's it."

As she stood up with him, handing three one thousand yen notes over, she mentally summed the vast volume of meat in the bowl with the average price of cattle in the area, and compared it to the listed price. She concluded they could only possibly be making a loss with every bowl. _Unless they reused the leftovers… _Naoto decided that for once, a mystery should remain a mystery. The pair thanked the man behind the counter, and headed for the exit.

As they walked, it occurred to them both that, as pleasant as the meal was, they had made little progress in what they actually wanted to. They had talked about a lot, yet still the simplest and most important topic had remained sealed and untouched in its glaringly obvious packaging. As they reached for the handle of the door, their hands came dangerously close to touching, and prompted action. **_I should say something. _**

Naoto bit her bottom lip. "Kanji, I..."

"Naoto, there's summit' I gotta-" He mentally slammed his head against the wall. "Crap, sorry. You go."

"No, please continue, I insist."

"Nah, come on, you were sayin'?"

"It was nothing…"

"That's still somethin'. What is it?"

So there they were, stuck in an awkward loop, their respective courage depleting by the second. "I-I..." **Say it Shirogane.** "Think we should do this more often." She glared at her reflection in the glass. **Naoto, you are a complete coward.**

Kanji was frankly relieved she didn't say 'This was horrible, let's never speak again'. Besides, she actively was asking to hang out again. **This is a win, right?** "Y-yeah. Sure thing. I'll see ya later."

They stepped through the door, and Kanji turned to the shop, before Naoto realised that that this wasn't how the day was supposed to end, them both walking away, her hope drowning in the rain. "Kanji, wait." He turned around, now almost rooted to his spot. She desperately wanted to say it, get everything out on the table, but right now, she couldn't put it into words. A peculiar thought came to her mind. "When we were at school, I took part in you deceiving Amagi-senpai. What were your intentions?"

"Oh yeah, well, I sorta asked her to come along then I realised I shouldn't have. So I kept tryin' to-"

"Why would that have been a problem?" _Unless, he wanted this to be an intimate encounter… _Her heart rate rose slowly.

**Crap. What do I say? **The only thing that he could say was something honest, but right now, he couldn't be as honest as he wanted to be. "Because… Because…" **Because I like you, dammit. **"Because I wanted us to hang out, alone I guess." Naoto's heart rate spiked. "I mean, you only started bein' friendly in November, and we all know the shit that went down the month after that. Feel like dunno you as well as I should…" He smiled, showing fewer nerves than he felt. "You're pretty cool Naoto. And the guys all said you told 'em the last thing they needed to find me when I was stuck in the TV. You helped save my life. I figure this is the least I can do."

The compliment had managed to almost shut down her cardio-vascular system. While she missed the real message behind his words, she was elated at the affirmation that he held her in high esteem. "Kanji-kun... I agree- we don't know each other as well as we should. And don't forget, you helped save my life as well."

He chuckled. "So, do we call it even?"

She smiled, and shook her head. "No. Let's call it, a mutual debt, which we can pay back with each other's company." She took a short, graceful bow. "Until next time, Kanji-kun."

They departed in opposite directions of the street, Kanji with a wave, their parting glance lingering longer than it had any right to in the pouring rain. It was only when Kanji saw the textile shop in full view, that he realised what just happened. **I fuckin' chickened out again, didn't I? **He sighed.** Well, least it sounds like I'll get a lot more chances to screw up in the future.**

Down the road, Naoto was feeling a similarly odd combination of optimism and disappointment. _Small steps will still lead to the required destination_, she reminded herself. _This battle was a victory in a longer war_. She smirked. _And I said the last word._

The punk trudging into his house however was not one to extol the virtues of patience. He knew more was necessary to get where he wanted to be. **I need more training, more prep,** he decided.** Gotta toughen up, grow some balls, and make the freakin' move. And soon.** He noticed one of his own pieces display whilst entering, a bright, brash green scarf, reminding him of someone he knew. Kanji smiled. He knew just who his coach would be.

* * *

AN: These chapters keep getting longer! I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone reading, whenever I get an email saying '_ has favourited A Little Help from Our Friends' it makes my day every time!

On the output front, probably best not to expect much in the near future. Exams are as real for me as I'm sure it is for you in internet land. So I hope you enjoy this installment, and I'll see you next time round!


	5. Kanji and Chie- Training

When Chie turned up outside of his house, in her usual jacket, skirt, and bike shorts combo, Kanji wasn't quite sure what he had expected. A strong flick onto his forehead told him he should have been prepared for violence.

"Come on, are you even dressed?" She began jumping between her feet, in the rather energetic battle stance the punk had gotten used to seeing over the last few months. "You can't go out wearing THAT!"

He looked down. His clothes were pretty much a constant; a skull vest and black jeans. "What's wrong with 'em?"

He couldn't tell if she rolled her eyes playfully or with disdain. "We're training today, remember? You exercise in those pants and… Ugh, I don't even want to think about it. Put on some gym shorts or something. Hop to it mister!"

He turned back into his house and started up the stairs, mumbling to himself. **The pants were** **never a problem in the TV... **Chie's boundless cheer was not particularly infectious that morning, so he grumbled as he scoured through his room for a pair of sweatpants. **Like hell I'm wearin' shorts. **He stumbled out of his room as he pulled them on, a generically grey number that had been worn a grand total of once previously, and that had only been to justify his mother's purchase. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he grunted in farewell to the old bid, and neatly closed the door behind him, stepping aside the still bouncing Chie. "So, uh, where're we goin'?"

"Going?" She scoffed. "Running, Kanji-kun, we're running. C'mon, just follow me and do what I do." And with that, she leapt off the porch and made a steady jog down the street, turning back to yell "Move it Tatsumi!"

**Is this really worth it? **He thought of Naoto, and immediately started his own jog. **'Course it is. **Chie was pretty together, and most definitely tough, so it made sense to get her opinion on how to make the next move. But when he called to ask if they could hang out, she decided that it had to revolve around her exercise schedule, and that he should totally come along. Her teasing that he had begun to look rounder and rounder since the end of case sealed it.

Both Souji and Yosuke wove tales of when she'd convinced them into joining her; a strict regiment, of 10k hikes, brutal crunches, and rows and rows of invisible enemies to defeat. Even Yukiko, her best friend, couldn't express much enthusiasm about the time she joined in Chie's endeavours, only sweetly praising her fitness whenever the subject was brought up, while her own eyes seemed reflect some unspoken horror. Rise only lasted 5 minutes by most reports.

But it couldn't be that bad, right? Besides, he had to prove he was tougher than the rest of the guys, if for as silly a reason as 'just because'. His longer legs drew him to close Chie relatively easily, but he let her take the lead nonetheless. This was her programme after all. Their pace was slow, following a seemingly arbitrary path along the pavements of Inaba. Bystanders didn't seem shocked to see his green-clad friend. Some of them even waved, a gesture she always politely returned. If anyone had a problem with him, they didn't show it, which pleased him more than he'd ever like to admit. He was surprised at how well his legs were carrying him; he didn't feel like he was being pushed at all. The silence between him and his training partner was beginning to feel a little strange too, so a few streets into the run, he decided to say something. "So Chie, what's-"

"No Talking. Focus on… Running." The fragments in her speech weren't due to premature tiredness; she was too experienced for that. It was simply her carefully controlling her breathing.

Kanji didn't have such strategy, a fact he would later regret. "Sorry. Figured we'd be takin' things up a notch by now is all…"

She smiled viciously, and he suddenly regretted saying anything. "Oh really… Well…" Her legs shifted into another gear. "Keep up Kanji-kun… Here comes the advanced course!"

She turned sharply, down into one of the back alleys of the shopping district. With the trash of the stores littered around the passage, the pair had to weave their way through the narrow stretch. Chie did this with grace, Kanji swearing he saw her kicking off of walls to avoid the debris. He however only barely managed to stay on his feet, his agility never being something he'd relied on before. His attention became too focussed on avoiding being sliced a wicked sword laid forgotten behind Daidara's, so he didn't quite manage to dodge the roll cage behind the Shiroku store. It caught his right side, and he spun out, his fall cushioned by a bag of trash. He wasn't particularly grateful though- the bag was filled with fruit that had become a little too ripe. He dragged himself back to his feet, cursing all the while. **Goddammit,** **this shit's never gonna wash off… **He looked ahead, seeing thatChie had noticed his fall, but hadn't come back to help. She stood, hopping from one foot to the other in her considerable lead, daring him to give up.

He rose to challenge placed in front of him. He jogged to her position, and kept going, giving her a fierce glare which said 'That's all you got?'. The alley seemed to stretch for miles, and Kanji found himself cursing his lumbering strides compared to Chie's quick, neat steps behind him. Thankfully, they seemed to be approaching a dead end, in the form of a wooden fence that was only just taller than he was. He stopped, leaning on the back wall, but before he could even begin to entertain the possibility of a rest, his senpai was picking up speed, and using the bins as a leaping board, took a huge stride and sprung off of her platform. She seemed to move in slow motion, causing his jaw to drop as she flew an impossible distance, over the fence blocking their path, with a landing so delicate it was barely audible. His eyes widened as he realised what she was going to make him do.

"Hey wait, where you goin'?!" He voice was exasperated and helpless. "Come on man, you know I can't do that kung-fu shit!"

Her voice was sickly sweet on the other side of the wood between them. "Hey, you said wanted the advanced course, this is it bucko!"

He could only splutter at her terrifying energy. "But- But- That's someone's backyard right? What if we get caught!?"

"That's only if we're slow. Now get over here you big baby!"

Growling, he didn't perform any of her acrobatics. He grabbed the top of the fence aggressively and pulled himself over, its' bending and creaking sounds of the wood inducing a minor heart attack. He landed square on his ass on the other side, the giggle of his audience unbearable. He knew he'd only yell if he said anything, so he waved for her to move ahead, keeping mute.

So she did. The back lawns of Inaba's houses all carried a similar philosophy, and with the fences separating the abodes only around waist height, it provided a fabulous improvised hurdles track. While she hadn't trained on her secret athletics track for a while, she gathered speed, and jumped the first fence, keeping her momentum going perfectly for the next. Kanji, who had gotten to his feet behind her, didn't have her machismo, just slowing down and using his hand to vault over the obstacle. This again cost him speed, and by the time he had passed a few fences, Chie had managed to get a distance of several houses between them, before stopping in her tracks a distance away. **Shit, did she get caught? **No-one had seen his own trespassing, but she was looking towards the window of the house she was intruding, Kanji was immediately worried. His first instinct was to run, of course, away this time, but he couldn't do that, abandon one of his senpai. He started moving faster, thinking of excuses they could make whilst leaping over yet more fences, but was surprised to hear her in the middle of a pleasant conversation.

"They give you homework?" Chie was chattering, "I never remember doing that when I was your age, I just… Hmm... I think I just ran around all the time!" She turned her head, just in time to see her training partner perform a quite magnificent pratfall into the soil in front of the fence. Perhaps out of pity, she didn't acknowledge it, and simply helped pull him upright. "Took your time, huh Kanji-kun?" She dragged him in front of the sliding glass doors. "Look, its Nanako-chan!"

She wasn't lying. Souji's adorable cousin was standing there in the gap of the opened door, wearing the cutest little white dress, leaving a colourful book and an assortment of crayons strewn behind her. He raised a hand in greeting. "Yo, Nanako-chan." **Huh. Guess we were gettin' pretty close to their house…**

"Hi Kanji-chan!" She giggled. "You're funny when you fall over!"

If anyone else said that they were due a punching, but a little girl like Nanako could get away with a lot of things. "Guess I am. What're you workin' on anyway?"

"I have homework. I'm supposed to draw something that means a lot to me. My teacher said it's supposed to help us… evaluate… our goals in life so we can, um… strive to achieve them!" She smiled, and lowered her voice. "I don't like that teacher very much."

"I wouldn't either," Chie agreed, "He sounds like he's come straight from business school or something. I swear all the teachers around here are weird…"

Kanji, who was never the first person to defend the education system, agreed. "Well, you had King Moron and then Kashiwagi-san for homeroom. That's like, from bad to worse." He became unsure. "Or is it from worse to bad…"

"Doesn't matter which way it is," Chie said, "They're probably about even when I think about it. Even without them there's still that history teacher who stands around wearing that weird Egyptian head thing…"

"Oh oh oh!" Nanako was sticking up her hand out of instinct. "That's an, um, Nemes headdress! We learnt about Egypt in school and they said that's what the striped hat was called!"

Chie looked at Kanji, of all people, for confirmation. He slowly nodded his head. "Y'know, I think that's right," he said, having no clue at all what a Nemes was, meant, or could be. "You're real smart Nanako-chan."

The little girl beamed. "They also said that Egyptians really liked cats. I like cats too!"

Chie laughed. "Well that wasn't hard to figure out, everybody likes cats! Some historians they are…"

"They also said that, when their king died," she continued excitedly, "They were all wrapped up and put in a p- In a p…" She struggled, "Pyramid! And then a crocodile eats his heart and then he goes to heaven!"

"Don't be silly, Nanako-chan," Chie responded, laughing good-naturedly, raising her arms in a mock monster pose, "The Pharaohs were wrapped up in their tombs so they could wake up later on and scare anyone snooping around! There are tons of movies about it…" As Chie listed a set of age-inappropriate films to a bemused looking Nanako, Kanji thought it rather strange how he was widely considered the groups' biggest dumbass, when everyone else bar Souji and Naoto could have moments so ditzy it left even him cringing.

"Nanako," they heard the elder Dojima call behind a series of walls, "Are you… Talking to somebody? Don't you have work to do?"

"No, Dad, there's nobody here!" She pressed her fingers to her lips, and shooed the runners away, who left with a cheerful wave.

They found themselves back on public property by a road. Kanji was much worse for wear, covered in dirt and rotten fruit, not to mention being tired. He grabbed Chie's shoulder before she could run off again. "Err, we done with this? That's all the running you need, right?"

She shook her head with determination. "Nu-uh. This is nothing; we gotta be able to go for miles!" She saw his expression droop at that, and decided to be kind. "Look, lets jog to the river, by my special route, and that's it, no more running today, alright?" He nodded in agreement. The river was only ten minutes away from there at best.

Unfortunately for him, Chie's route took half an hour. Kanji sprawled himself out on the edge of the riverbank, dunking his head into the water. He flipped onto his back, and shot Chie the dirtiest look imaginable. "That… Took… WAY… Too… Long…"

She shrugged. "So I was a little creative with the journey. That's what you should be doing when you're training, pushing yourself!" She plonked herself down on the dirt beside him. "Besides, you weren't complaining earlier."

Kanji silence was due to a combination of his pride and the exercise leaving him breathless. His eyes rolled to the clear blue sky. "I… I think I'm dying…"

He was too dead to be embarrassed by Chie's laugh. The worst part was it wasn't even full blown Yukiko-level, it was soft, with a hint of pity. "Kanji-kun, you are the softest tough guy I think I'm ever gonna meet. Still," She winked at him, "You lasted longer than anyone else did. Rise-chan only got to the edge of the shopping district before she 'twisted her ankle'. She even called Teddie to carry her home!" Her face scrunched up. "I don't get it. During the case, everyone was working so hard on getting stronger, and now they're all just sitting on it? No offense."

Kanji took none, but he decided to flip the question anyway. "Why aren't you? S'not like this town has any bad guys anymore." The water's revitalising effect had worked minor wonders, and he could now work up the strength to prop himself onto his elbows.

"But it does! You just don't see 'em!" She said it with such verve that he half expected her to come out with some kind of lizard-based conspiracy, but the real explanation was much more rational. "School bullies, con artists, stalkers, they're all still around. To tell the truth," she lowered her voice, "I wanna be a cop."

"Er, you sure?" Cops and Kanji had historically never mixed well. "I mean, Dojima makes it look like a lot of work, and all the other ones I ever met are angry all the time."

"Dealing with you would probably do that." She snickered at the hurt that crept across the blonde's face. "Kidding. Maybe. But that's all the more reason. There should be more friendly people like me in the force. Friendly people who are also badass supercops!"

"An' that's why you're training so hard?"

"Duh. I want to be the kind of cop that solves problems," she pounded her fists together, "Permanently. "

Kanji raised an eyebrow. "You sound more like a supervillian."

"Two sides, same coin, usual movie spiel." She daydreamed about breaking an evildoer's kneecaps before snapping back to reality. "But still, I figured the rest of the team would have some kind of workout, even if I'm the only one who really needs it."

He pondered the positions of the rest of the group. "Well, Rise's working on gettin' back into showbiz, so she's probably doin' somethin' to keep slim for the cameras. Yosuke and Yukiko's have their jobs takin' up their whole lives." He thought a little harder. "And you know Teddie and Naoto aren't into sweating at all."

Chie hummed in agreement. "But what about Souji? He always took exploring the TV way more seriously than we did; I figured he'd have his own regiment."

"Exactly, he worked way harder than any of us." He exhaled, looking to the distance, "Fact is, dude deserves a break. For what he's done for us, an' the town besides, he's earned one. Can't get any stronger than he is already anyway, right?" He let his head flop back to watch the sparkling water. "He's still got his soccer team I think. Oh, and he's real into fishing now from what I've seen."

"Ugh, fishing's boring. Unless you're using your hands!" Her eyes lit up, and started mimicking the movements with her hands. "Lying in wait, until you see a shimmer, and 'SPLOOSH!'. There's dinner! Hey, that rhymed!" She was quietly pleased with herself, and then took to looking thoughtfully at Kanji with a tilted head. "But then what about you? You're all huge and scary; you must've lift weights or something." A thought crossed her mind. "Hey, that was the case even before the murders! Tell me your secrets!"

"Nothin' to it really, I'm just big is all…" He stretched his arms behind him, trying to think of a time he ever felt small. Emotionally, plenty of times, physically… Well, he'd always been the biggest in his class, and it was only the hardest of the hardasses that made him feel a little unsettled.

She shook her head. "There's gotta be somethin' you do. Since middle school, you had good… definition…" She blushed, trailing off; surprised the mostly innocent observations of her younger self had slipped out. She proceeded to hastily try to justifying it. "Not that I was being a pervert or anything! Watch the movies I watch, and you end up noticing that kind of thing… And you always wore such tight clothes- it didn't help!"

She stared at the floor furiously, leaving Kanji surprised at how abruptly the conversation had taken a turn for the weird. It was alien enough for anyone to comment on his body, beyond the town's gossiping about 'the Tatsumi thug', but this was Chie, who he had only ever felt a fraternal bond to, and he was pretty sure that feeling was mutual. "Well, I, uh… I guess that was around the time I kept gettin' into fights. That could've done something I guess. Actually," He whistled, "There were a LOT of fights. And Ma kept insisting on shovelling loads of food down my throat. Probably had just the right combination of eatin' meat and givin' out a beatin'."

"Oh right." She seemed relieved that he had actually responded. "Maybe I should try the Tatsumi method!" She became thoughtful again. "But, you look different now. Not like, bad different or anything, but the way you stand, the way you talk… I dunno- you're just less intimidating than you used to be."

"Good. I never wanted to be." He considered that for a second, and decided not to lie to himself. "Okay, maybe that ain't totally true, but I definitely don't care about that shit anymore. 'Sides, shop keeps me too busy to dwell on crap nowadays."

"Hey, good for you! Y'know I've been thinking about getting a job," she sighed, "But then I realise I wouldn't have enough time to train."

Kanji grunted, knowing she would never have enough time by her standards. "Maybe you could be a delivery girl. Run for a paycheck."

"Yeah! And we both know there's at least one position open in the delivery company..." She trailed off. Nametame was a weird subject she desperately avoided thinking about. He was innocent by all accounts, being a sad man manipulated beyond repair, but he had still kidnapped Yukiko. Chie would never forget that. Kanji wouldn't defend him either- hot headed by nature, he would always be pissed at the guy who had not only kidnapped him, but his senpai, Naoto, and Nanako. Of those two girls, he couldn't decide whose disappearance made him angrier. Nanako's, he had to admit. Besides, the blame for Naoto's abduction lay partly on her own shoulders. **What kind of moron gets themselves kidnapped on purpose? **Months on, Kanji stillwanted to grab her, yell at her, and try and make her see some sense on how reckless she had been.

The pair's pondering had created an uneasy silence, and Chie decided she wanted to move herself away from their respective unsettling thoughts. "…So. Err… Oh yeah!" She snapped her fingers. "Why'd you wanna come out with me today anyway? Something about stuff you needed help with?"

Her bringing up the 'issue' made him freeze up for a second, as silly as it was. He had asked for help. He needed her help. **Stop actin' like it's a big deal. **Still, a deal it was, so his words didn't come easily to him. "I, uh… I need your advice on summit'. I can't seem to get it right by myself."

Chie hadn't seen Kanji this uncomfortable since the bathhouse, and swivelled to face him to try and be reassuring. "Sure, what's going on?"

"I like Naoto." Chie's seemed unresponsive, so he tried being clearer. "I mean, like, like her."

"I got it the first-" She stopped herself. She had only been blasé because she he didn't reveal anything shocking. Of course he liked Naoto; anyone with eyes could see that, besides the detective herself as strange as it was. But Kanji looked smaller than she had ever seen him, and she figured she should be tactful and act surprised. "Oh, really? I never would have guessed…" The sincerity in her voice was weak, and a little uneven, so she ploughed through to the junction that the conversation was naturally heading in. "That's great Kanji-kun! So, when are you gonna tell her? Are you gonna ask her out?"

Kanji was relieved. She hadn't laughed. The time the girls in grade school made fun of him still haunted his psych more than it had any right to, leaving him still admittedly scared to open up to anyone else of the female persuasion. But, come to think about it, that was exactly what he had to get over here. "That's the part I'm stuck with…" He rubbed his face with both hands. "I'm trying, y'know? Hell, 'prolly put more work in it than anythin' else I've ever done. Not that that's sayin' much, but still…"

"Well, what've you done so far? Gimme a rundown." Chie wasn't often sought out for her advice, but she was damn sure that now she was, she'd be the best agony aunt she could be, and that meant getting all of the facts.

"Well, uh. We hung out by the river last week I guess."

She clapped her hands in glee. "Oh, how romantic!"

Kanji shrugged. Actually being there wasn't as idyllic as the abridged version. "It wasn't really. Things got weird, though it was more her fault than mine, I swear."

She could tell asking for details would be a bad idea. "O…kay? What else?"

"Went to Aiya's together a couple days ago. That was pretty cool I guess."

"But what, you didn't ask her out?" He winced in response, so Chie switched to being reassuring. "Its okay, Kanji-kun, it was a good idea at least. I mean, take me to Aiya's and I'd be so full I'd say yes to anything!"

He smiled sadly. "Don't think it has the same effect on Naoto…"

She furrowed her brow. "So what went wrong? What did you talk about?"

"S'not important." He didn't completely understand some of the little moments he shared with her inside the meatiest spot in town, but they felt too personal to be sharing. Besides, he was tired of not being the one asking questions. "What's important is me actually growing pair and asking her out, which is where you come in, I think."

Exhaling, Chie tried to decide on what she should say. "I'll be honest Kanji-kun, I'm not sure I can help you, I know nothing about dating. Why'd you come to me anyway?" She still didn't know how she fit into the equation, not being renowned in any way as to the world of romance.

"You're tough," He said frankly, "Tougher than me, an' I think that's what I need. Someone to shove me into takin' some action." He grinned at her shyly. "A… Sensei, I guess; someone who I'll be too scared to come back to a failure."

Sensei. His praise hit all the right notes for her, and she excitedly began thinking of the perfect training montage. She wasn't entirely sure if she entirely agreed with his assessment, but she definitely didn't want to disappoint. But where to start? The basics, she decided. "Well, I think you're probably making too big a deal of it. Not that it isn't I mean, it sorta is but…" Chie blinked. A contradiction is never a good way to start a lesson. "Wait. Let's try again. How long have you liked her?" It was a weak start, girl talk always was, but she had to admit she was a little curious, and Yukiko never let her indulge in that part of her feminine side.

Surprised at the question, Kanji thought for a few seconds. "Day one I guess. She uh, grabbed me, wantin' somethin' for the case I think. Just before I got thrown in the TV…"

"And this was when we thought she was a..."

She spoke slowly, giving Kanji ample time to finish her sentence for her. "Guy, yeah. Confused the hell outta me. Still does if I'm honest." He was beginning to go deeper than he thought he would have, but considering it was Chie, it didn't once cross his mind to stop himself. "Hell, I thought she was comin' on t' me at first… But it don't matter. She's who she is, an' that's what I liked from the start." **An' if I focus on her, I don't have t' think about any other 'preferences' I got. **It was a slight cop-out, but he had to take one step at a time.

"Wow…" Chie tilted her head in sympathy. "You're really into her, aren't you? Not just crush, like, a full blown…" She shook her head. "Sheesh." She was worried. She desperately wanted to help her blonde friend, but they were swimming towards waters far too deep for her experience. But as luck would have it, on the road along the riverbank, she saw a couple of lifeguards who could help. She stuck up a hand and started waving.

Kanji frowned. "Is one of our senpai here?"

"Nope, I'm just getting you some extra help!"

Turning his head in the direction of the waving, he saw two figures, definitely male, acknowledge the gesture, and begin walking towards their position. Noticing they were in track gear, he recognised they were Souji's sporty friends, Kou and Daisuke. He turned to his trainer, and raised an eyebrow incredulously. "What?! Those meatheads?"

She rolled her eyes. "Look who's talking. You need to learn from many instructors to be a true master, Kanji-kun! It'll help to get a guy's perspective at least." Sure, she was shifting the load slightly, but it was a solid plan.

As they drew closer, they noticed the bigger of the two was a few strides ahead, almost dragging the other along. He raised a hand in greeting. "Hey guys, what's up?"

Kanji lazily returned the gesture, while Chie responded with a smile. "Oh, nothing. Just giving Kanji-kun here dating advice and I thought the opinion of a couple of hot-blooded alpha males like yourselves would be an invaluable resource."

Kanji flushed, as did Kou, but the other pair in the group didn't seem to notice. "Oh…" Daisuke stroked his chin for a few seconds. "To be honest, I ain't the person to ask. But," He angled himself towards Kanji, "You want my advice? It ain't worth the hassle. There's like, way, WAY better things you can be doin' than thinkin' about chicks."

"Like soccer?" Chie groaned playfully.

"Exactly! Girls are just a huge headache. No offense, Chie-san." He beamed at first, but his features fell into an embarrassed slump, as he examined Kanji with the sort of expression that made him nervous. His voice became unnaturally timid. "Uh… We are talkin' abut chicks, right?"

The punk groaned. The massive coverage and staying power of a rumour can be considered impressive, but it was the same kind of irritating impressive that applied for Yosuke's ability to always piss someone off with a minimum of effort. "Yes," He stated loudly, with a hint of exasperation. "Yes we are."

Daisuke seemed oblivious to the boy's discomfort, and visibly relaxed. "Phew, don't think I could've helped otherwise…" He mimed wiping sweat off of his brow, but the look Kanji was giving him reminded him of the other, more violent stories that surrounded his underclassman. "But yeah, my last girlfriend caused me some major issues, and I don't wanna see anyone else have to go through that crap. Really messes up your game, you know? And, er, that's all I got." He slapped his best friend hard on the back, who was currently busy staring at the ground between his feet. "You go Kou!"

"I er…" He paused, and started anew slowly, radiating a sort of purpose. "You just have to tell her how you're feeling. About how when you see her in the hallway, you want to dive through the nearest window. About how you notice how strong she is, when everyone else just sees the superficial." He seemed to be directing his speech to Chie more than anyone else, giving her his full attention, and freaking Kanji out a little. His speech became slightly dream-like. "About how the colours she wears matches her eyes, that beautiful shade of gre-"

A worried looking Diasuke had to make the save, grabbing his love-struck friend and clamping his hand firmly over his mouth. "I think they get it man." The basketball star had angry eyes, but he was unable to loosen himself from his friend's grip.

Chie shook her head; thankfully not connecting the dots Kou had carelessly strewn all over the place. "So, essentially, we have 'give up', and 'act like a creepy stalker'. Great, thanks guys."

Her blunt abbreviation of his 'advice' put all the fight out of Kou, who went limp in his friend's grip. Daisuke smiled as he began dragging the mass away from the river. "Yeah well, glad we could help. We'll see you guys later, we have some, er… ball… to play." As the pair walked away, they seemed to be arguing about something, with Daisuke's booming laughter punctuating their conflict.

Chie and Kanji looked on, with their shared confusion making their faces slightly symmetrical. The girl in green snorted. "Those guys are weird."

"No kidding." **Note to self: Never act like whatever that was. **He was kind of relieved he had firsthand experience of a guy screwing up way worse than he ever did. As petty as it was, it gave him more hope. "They were pretty useless."

"I know, right? I figured sports guys like them would be smoother than that…"

Kanji chuckled. "So, got any other special guests, 'master'?"

"Actually…" She pondered for a few moments. "Nope, this town is bereft of lady killers. Well, I guess there's that one fashionable guy in my class… And Teddie is in his own weird way…"

Kanji nodded in agreement. Teddie definitely had some sort of way with the ladies. "Souji-senpai too, right?"

"Probably. The guy's so sneaky though, it's hard to pin anything on him though…"

"Yeah, but if you follow the gossip and he's dating every girl in town…"

"It might not be too far from the truth." She said quietly. Raising her voice, she quickly switched topics. "Right, so it's down to me!" She manoeuvred herself into a cross legged position, opposite her young charge, in a pose she hoped expressed authority. "What you need to do is ask her out!"

Kanji copied her, crossing his legs, trying to match her formality. "I worked out that much, 'sensei', but how the hell am I actually gonna do it?"

"Hmm…" Her vision became unfocused as she searched for the correct approach. "I got it! Treat it like a... like a cinder block!" She exclaimed, earning her an odd look from the punk in front of her. "Y'know, like martial artists punch through?" His expression remained blank, so she waved her hands in frustration. "It doesn't matter. Okay, think of a big plywood wall." Her eyes dared him to call her out on her analogy, which kept him quiet. "You gotta charge through it, and you know you can, but you just keep on stopping before you hit it." She stared straight through his eyes, hoping to somehow pierce into his soul in a moment that was meant to be profound. Kanji just found it creepy. She breathed in deep. "What's holding you back?"

He began to shrug, but Chie's startlingly intense eyes made him sit up to attention. "I dunno, just me I guess."

"Right," She said calmly, slowly standing. "Your only problem yourself... So let's go get that guy."

"Huh?" Not quite following, he allowed her to pull him to his feet. She firmly grabbed his wrists and pulled his fists out in front, right slightly further than left. He slowly realised this was a fighting stance. "So you want me to hit myself?"

She rolled her eyes. "'Course not, stupid." She pointed at the ground. The angle of the late morning sun cast a black silhouette of the punk that was close to life size. "That's your target."

He looked between the darkened dirt and his impromptu master, whose hands had impatiently reached her hips. "What, him? My shadow?"

"Yeah!" Raising an arm confidently, she began to babble. "Shadow boxing is an art that is both practical and elegant, while still being well regarded by the pros. Historical documents have proven it was regularly practiced by kung-fu masters of the past, while more recent evidence shows the techniques that can be obtained from its use are effective in battle, and furthermore, boosts reflexes in a manner that is second to none!" She winked after her glowing endorsement. "Besides, you're already an expert!"

"Ha ha." The word 'shadow' had taken on so many more meanings in the last year that he had stopped finding the odd puns you could find in everyday speech funny a long time ago. "I ain't doin' that, I'll look ridiculous."

"Oh really?" Her right eye glinted, and she took a menacing step forward. "In that case then," she sighed dramatically, "I'll have to be your opponent." She came closer, her smile growing more unnerving, Kanji having to consciously fight the urge to scramble backwards. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you…" When she leaned in, Kanji could swear there were fangs where her teeth should be. "Though, I not sure the rest of the guys will when they hear about the beating you received from little ol' me."

**This girl is friggin' scary. **He almost scrambled backwards, mumbling something angry and unintelligible to himself, turning towards the shadow, his shadow, standing across the floor, while Chie smirked to herself. Not being sure where to start, he took up his usual battle stance, noticing that without a chair in his hands, he just looked like a gorilla. He brought his fists up like before, and launched some exploratory jabs into the air in front of him.

His master wasn't impressed. "Oh come on, that's all you got? Put some back into it!" He snapped his head sideways to her and snarled, before putting more force into his blows. "You've gotta dodge too, pea brain!" He clumsily took steps from side to side, dodging the attacks mirroring his own movements. "How the hell did you ever take on a gang of bikers?" Panting now, his feet danced messily on the floor, while his arms mechanically repeated the same motions. "For god's sake, Nanako-chan could hit harder than you!" Catching a glance at her in between jabs, her stern frown sent a chill to the depths of his very soul. The way she could intimidate him was almost unique.

**But she's still not as scary as Naoto… **Why was that? Naoto was so small he would never see her as a physical threat, even with her gun in her hands; if anything, the revolver made her even it because she was smart? It couldn't be. Sure, half the time he didn't know what she was saying, but he liked hearing it anyway, just because of how animated she became when she tried to explain something he'd never understand. Was it because she was a girl? Again, not likely. The nightmarish episode from elementary was horrible, but the feelings brought up from that were dealing with a whole host of different personal issues. Besides, the only other girl he was scared of was Chie, and as she was currently demonstrating, her gender had nothing to do with it.

**Is it because I like her? **This seemed to be hitting the mark. **Because I might not be good enough for her? ** **Because I could lose her by even saying my feelings? ** **Because I might screw it all up?** He noticed a recurring theme- all of his reasons had an 'I' in them.

**It's all down to me isn't it? **Pausing, he squinted squarely at the head of the shadow, letting his frustration with himself build. With a cry, he restarted his assault, but this time with much more passion. He introduced direction into his punches, with hooks and uppercuts exploding from his arms, while his feet had gained a nimbler air, gliding across the riverbank.

His increased effort hadn't gone unnoticed by Chie, who began cheering on her pupil. "Woohoo, all right Kanji-kun! Yeah!" She started punching the air, putting the energy of an entire crowd into her encouragement. "Kick his ass!" The punk slid to the left and hit a gut shot, then ducked and fired off a wicked elbow. "Go for it!" Lost in the fight, he leapt in the air and performed what he thought was a devastating flying kick. However, he had managed to trip on the bare ground during his ascent. With an anticlimactic "Oh shit," he hit the ground face first, staying perpendicular for a moment, and then clattering down to the side with a painful groan. Concerned, Chie rushed to his side. "Crap, are you okay?"

"What does it look like?!" Kanji's pained tone didn't have a trace of anger- he had used it all up on his two dimensional counterpart. He forced himself upright, scrunching his eyes and rubbing the back of his head tenderly. "An' that's why I never go for kicks."

She cheerfully thumbed to herself. "You gotta be pretty trained to pull off an effective kick! Seriously though, you looked pretty good out there, are you feeling better about everything?"

"Oh yeah, I think I got it. Punch through blocks, get over myself, yadda yadda." He smiled at her, with a content satisfaction. "Thanks senpai." Chie's bashful grin in return was infinitely adorable. He eased back and closed his eyes, feeling calmer than he would have ever expected, considering the days' earlier rush of activity. He absently focussed on the faint sound of the river, letting the roll of the stream wash over any latent thoughts that could ruin the moment. But, as the moments passed, they were ruined by something else, first an indiscriminate buzz, and then a loud girlish whine, which perhaps was more akin to a groan. He lifted a single eyelid, and directed his gaze to the source, who was glaring at her phone with a fierce intensity. "Summit' wrong?"

"Oh it's nothing…" Her sigh was tired. "Just Yosuke."

He let the open lid close, deciding any situation involving Hanamura was not worth his full attention. "Well, he's an asshole."

"Trust me, I know."

"Don't let him get to ya. Prolly' just jokin' around."

"I know…" She said, flipping her phone back into her jacket. "It's just…"

"I get it." All the homophobic jibes had built up a certain hostility between them, and he had been present for enough his and Chie's never-ending arguments that he knew there was something similar there too. Sure, they were friends, closer than a lot of friends were considering what they went through in the past year, but there were still occasions he wanted to give him a real piece of his mind, or fist.

At this moment, Chie suddenly perked up. "Wait, I've got the BEST idea!"

Kanji rolled neatly into a sitting position, opening his eyes.. "Wuzzat?"

"He's probably working now, right? We should go bother him. Payback for past slights, and I'm pretty sure he owes me money, so we can go get some steaks afterwards!"

**Annoying Hanamura and free food? Welp, I'm in. **"Eh, sounds like fun." He moved to his knees and proceeded to stand upright, dusting himself off. "Maybe we should cause a scene and see if we can get his pay docked."

"That's a little harsh Kanji-kun…" She shrugged paradoxically however, with a devilish grin. "But we'll see what we can do." The two friends began to walk, up the stairs, and on the road that lead to Junes, while Chie began to review her day's training. "You know Kanji-kun, I went really easy on you today, no form exercises or anything! Next time we should…"

Kanji groaned lightly as she began to describe a complex routine, thinking that, actually, it sounded like fun…

* * *

AN: Probably shouldn't have written this right now, but I did, so it's out of the way I guess? I'm glad, this was one of the main scenes I wanted to do from the start of this story. I put more 'action' if you can call it that in this than I ever did before, so, how did I do?

Fair warning, the following chapters are probably gonna be shorter, I can't imagine how I'm gonna be able to stretch the events I have planned. But we'll see. As always, thanks for reading!


	6. Naoto and Yosuke- Reading

'A man wants a woman who's quiet. When you want to talk, chat with your gal pals!'

*Rip*_ I'll skip ahead._

'Brush up on your cooking- The real way into his heart!'

_That is... debatable. _*Rip* She flicked through the glossy paper again.

'Surprise him by moving your fingers towards his-'

_This is ridiculous. _Sighing, and tearing out the paragraph like all of the others, Naoto sunk deeper into her cheap, plastic chair. They were always the uncomfortable downside of sitting in Junes. While the diminutive detective would never usually frequent the food court, since the closing of the case at least, it was the only place in Inaba that could cater for her current needs. The town was still relatively backwater after all, leaving the superstore the only source for the gaggle of magazines, currently piled neatly on top of her table. She placed the text she had just removed with the others, forming neat rows beside the publications in the centre. Being who she is, there was a system to it- unread, unthinkable, and generally unpleasant, those last three sections slotting neatly into the two latter categories. The space she had left aside for any good leads remained empty.

_What did I hope to accomplish? I am clearly not the target market for these publications... _But, as much as she hated to admit it, she was desperate. Progress had stagnated since her meal with Kanji at Aiya's, and she could feel some kind of momentum was being lost with every passing day, which mustn't be lost, at all costs. Deciding that confiding in her friends wasn't the quick solution she had hoped for, she reverted to her older habits, scouring through documents in an attempt to force a breakthrough. Alas, however, if there was anything useful between the garish colours and incessant advertisements, they were doing their very best to remain out of sight. The writing style didn't help either. The detective was used to scanning clear, formal, police reports, barring the occasional crackpot testimony. The articles in the magazines were written in an irritating, conversational tone, whilst an asymmetrical layout made following the droll contents impossible. They even tried to bombard the sense of smell, perfume samples being kept away as far a distance as stench rising from them was impressively artificial; leaving her amazed they weren't eating through the table like an acid. _And such a scent is supposed to be alluring to a male?_

The detective prince was veering dangerously close to sulking. For nearly an hour now she had sat, read, and analysed, with nothing to show for it. Where were the manual for pursuing a relationship, ones suitable for her consumption? Not these pathetic magazines which extolled the virtues of being submissive above all else. As she wallowed, glaring at the stacks in front of her in the childlike hope they would burst into flames, she noticed a humanoid shadow cast across the table's surface. _Hell. _The prospect of any of her friend's seeing her in such a compromising position was not ideal. _I should have worn a disguise. Amateur, amateur… _Thankfully at least, she knew the shadow wasn't long enough to belong to Kanji, which would have been a real disaster, but she kept her head down, her mind racing for a suitable excuse.

"Naoto-kun!" The voice was boyish and cheerful, if a little tired. "What brings you to the cultural capital of Inaba? Hey, are those magazines?"

Yosuke. _Perfect. _Hanamura wasn't renowned for his IQ, leaving Naoto confident that with the right level of deflection and deception, she could make her leave without too many questions being raised. Looking up finally, she forced a smile. "Yosuke-senpai, are you on a break?" A horrible thought reared its head. "Teddie… Isn't here today, is he?" Misdirecting Yosuke was one thing, but Teddie worked on a level that didn't belong on this earth.

"Nah, it's his day off, which sorta means it's my day off!" He winked, taking a seat beside her. "Bear can be a pain sometimes." His face brightened. "Why are you so interested? Don't tell me his 'scoring' technique actually worked on someone!"

Yosuke always had to try and stir something, but Naoto remained composed, which said a lot as to how used to such antics she had become during her time in Inaba. "Merely inquiring over the wellbeing of a friend."

He rolled his eyes. "Right… So, what's with all the girly magazines? Don't tell me…" His eyes widened. "Oooh. I get it." A devilish grin crept on both corners of his mouth. "Don't worry your secrets safe with me."

Now this unsettled her. She wasn't sure what he was getting at, if he knew, but he sounded so cocksure it was difficult not to feel as if she had been rumbled. Then again, his speech was always tinged with some overconfidence, misplaced or otherwise. "I-I'm not sure what you mean, senpai." Naoto knew feigning innocence is usually an effective method of buying time, unfortunately from having her own wasted by various suspects over the year.

He raised his palms. "I mean I understand. The girls in those magazines… Wow." His smirk became several shades of unbearable.

Naoto's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you implying?"

"Hell, I've done it." He gestured to himself. "When a shift is way too long I just grab one of these things and have a leaf through…"

"Yosuke-" She didn't like where he was going.

"I mean obviously you aren't looking at them for the fashion right? And since the store doesn't carry any of the really dirty stuff, this is all you can…"

"Senpai, I am not interested in the models." His fearful expression perplexed her, before realising she had rather aggressively slammed a fist into the table.

"Okay, okay, jeez, I get it." His voice became curious. "So you're not a…"

"A what?" Her voice was harsh and terse.

"Les-" He shook his head. If there was ever a minefield not worth stepping into, this was it. "Never mind." The disappointment in his voice wasn't particularly well hidden. "So, if that isn't it, why do you have all these?"

"I'm… Researching. For a case." It made sense, she was the 'detective prince' after all, but she couldn't help but think back to her poor attempt at subterfuge, weeks ago at the river. How she wished she was more creative.

"Sure, like I read them for the 'articles'." He illustrated the inverted commas with his fingers. "C'mon, man, you aren't being particularly convincing here."

_He won't drop that juvenile train of thought. Perhaps he has a bizarre fascination with those of a different sexual orientation… _Distracted by her own psychoanalysis, she shrugged. "It's the truth, senpai."

He grabbed the top issue of the central pile, 'Fabulistica', quickly turning though the pages. He dropped it back on the table with a thud, unconvinced. "How would these help with catching any kind of criminal?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself, it was a request from my grandfather." _Smart move. _This particular alibi meant she could be plausibly murky about the details. "And if you would please excuse me, I need to be getting back to this research. Which is difficult, considering how outdated this medium seems to be."

She had expected him to leave, but he remained, with a disgusted look on his face. "Ugh, everyone is so down on old fashioned monthly issues nowadays…"

"As they should be. Making such things digital allows for greater functionality, streamlined use, and connectivity with others for further research or collaborative purposes."

"Yeah yeah yeah." He waved a hand. "The internet is great and all, but it feels so impersonal, y'know? It's good having something physical every once in a while." He grabbed the stack to demonstrate.

Naoto raised an eyebrow. "I would have never imagined you felt… Well, anything, towards such matters senpai."

"What can I say, I'm a connoisseur." He again performed his usual carefree wink, before remembering he wasn't talking to one of the guys. "I mean, uh," He began to splutter, "Hobby magazines! I can't get enough! They're all, uh? Really… Interesting?"

The detective remained blissfully unaware of the source of her friend's newfound discomfort. "I was referring more to how ironic your stance is, considering your status in the town. Your family is considered to be ruining the historical rural history of the town after all."

"Heh, yeah, I guess it's a little odd." His expression was still a little hurt, despite him trying to laugh off the situation. "Say… Does anyone in town treat you like they did?"

The sudden shift to vulnerability in his tone of voice startled her. "Like they did… I'm assuming you're referring to the furore when I first moved to Inaba?" He nodded seriously. "You are aware of my struggles with the local police department. Then the fervent speculation around my gender after my appearance on the midnight channel…" She thought. "It was rather prominent for the two months after that, but since then people have been talking much more quietly."

Yosuke chuckled. "I see. So that's how it is…" He trailed off listlessly, regaining attention when seeing Naoto's concerned expression. "Oh it's nothing," He explained, "Just… The town's forgotten everything that came up about everybody. Kanji makes dolls now and nobody bats an eyelid, Yukiko's been getting a lot less of the 'Amagi Challenge' stuff and hell, nobody remembers that Rise is a freakin' idol!" He sighed. "But I'm still the Junes boy. The moms in the shopping district still dirty looks!" His smile was wry, and tired. "I need to stop complaining, don't I?"

"Well…" Such a sudden soul-bearing moment had thrown the detective off her game, leaving her stumbling for a response. "That's true. But it doesn't make their taunting justified. You've been a resident of this town longer than myself, or Rise, for that matter."

"Souji too," He agreed. "No one has a bad word to say about him though. Practically a saint from what I've heard."

"He's a pillar of our local community by all accounts." Stories had reached her ears of their leaders offering help to mere strangers, and his remarkable ability to procure obscure items for their classmates.

He shrugged. "Probably helped him. I still wish I didn't feel like such an outsider most of the time though."

"I've endured a similar feeling senpai. My travels to consult with various agencies across the country had me designated as a target more times than I can count. That lack of familiarity and their surprise at my own competency created a resentment that followed me wherever I was assigned." The memories still stung a harsh reminder that things could never be simple, for a girl born into a lineage like the Shirogane's. "It never became any easier."

"Until moving here, right?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes. Those feelings subsided, although if I recall, they only began to after the first few months of the investigation…"

Yosuke scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, accepting our shadows would've helped. The whole confronting our inner conflict or whatever psychological stuff you said was probably healthy." He seemed pleased with this assessment for a few moments, but then shook his head. "No, working out that stuff was only a small part. It was them. This place became a whole lot nicer since the investigation team formed. Not that I'm glad the murders happened or anything."

Naoto observed her friends' eyes glazing over. It seemed clear that last thought weighed heavily on his shoulders. "Yosuke, I… understand your conflict."

"Conflict?" The boy himself hadn't picked up on his own abnormal behaviour. "What are you talking about?"

"My entire career is- indirect as it may be- based on the misfortune of others, of the victims, and sometimes, even the criminals themselves. So, I know the turmoil of considering whether it's selfish to enjoy certain benefits of tragic events. Such as the purpose it brings." The detective closed her eyes. "You have to take into account that you had no bearing on what happened initially, and whatever you've achieved as a later consequence was only part of trying to improve the aftermath."

Yosuke blanched. "Eh? Where are you even coming from with that? Sure, whatever, Dr. Naoto." His tactless brushing off left her feeling slightly crestfallen, before he added quietly, "Thanks." He clapped his hands. "Moving swiftly along, what's the deal with your gramps' case that he's got you looking through magazines?"

"Oh, um, right." The problem with lies, as Naoto was recently discovering, is that they tangle a wicked web with no map or directions to make sense of them all. "The, uh, case, is about…" She noticed a box of corn flakes poking out of the shopping bag of another patron of the store, a few tables away. "A serial killer…" A group of teenage girls talking loudly in designer clothing caught the corner of her eye. "Who targets female adolescents…" She took a final glance at the material on her own table. "With low self esteem. My grandfather feels publications such as these breed such negative emotions, and thus more targets for the, ah, killer."

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad can it?" Once again, his strong affection towards his own stash had left him feeling very defensive towards the medium. "It's not like an afternoon of reading this stuff turns you into a shuffling wreck."

She eyed the bountiful scraps of paper she had placed in the 'poor advice' section. "The actual contents do not promote much confidence in that I have to say. They seem to focus on assisting women in attracting a mate-" Yosuke cringed at her awkward, archaic language, "-with advice that seems misplaced, which of course, leads to failure, which therefore, leads to a melancholy outlook."

"And so they're more vulnerable to this killer?" Yosuke asked sceptically. "All from these magazines?"

"…Yes."

"Nah, that's bull. Lemme take a look." He snatched some of the choice paragraphs she had extracted before the detective could even think about stopping him. "I'm guessing these are some particularly 'bad' examples?" She nodded, still slightly afraid the brunette would realise that there was no case, and the works on the table were for her own, personal consumption. He began reading them off. "'A man wants a woman who's quiet. When you want to talk, chat with your gal pals!' Now this isn't bad at all!"

Naoto shot daggers at her friend besides her. "So you agree with this outdated view that women should be seen and not heard by their spouse?"

Yosuke's face scrunched up. "It sounds really bad when you put it like that… No, that's not what I mean; you have to look at it in a different way. Ok, most of the girls who read this stuff week in, week out would be pretty girly right?"

_Of course. If they are girls, then they would be girlish, by definition. _Then she contrasted her own demeanour to that of Rise, and was reminded there were separate degrees of girlishness. "I imagine that would be the case, yes?"

"So yeah, if it's talking to girly girls, they most probably like talking about fashion and stuff all the time. So what it's trying to say is only talk about that stuff to your friends who are also into it. It'd probably just bore the guy they want to be with."

"That is an… Interesting way of decoding the statement." She had to admit, in Yosuke's translated format, there was sound reasoning. _Perhaps I should avoid extolling the virtues of classic literature with Kanji._

"Ya see? You can only take whatever you give. This next one, 'Brush up on your cooking- The real way into his heart!'"

"Ah yes," She chuckled darkly, "The proliferation of an 'idyllic' place for women."

Yosuke breathed an exasperated sigh, dodging the intense fire in eyes of the girl beside him. "You're missing the point again. You think I welcomed Chie and Yukiko's cooking? I swear to god I can still taste it in my nightmares…"

Naoto had heard various accounts of what transpired during the school's annual campout, an event that occurred thankfully before her enrolment. The girls had sworn that it really wasn't that bad, and while Souji tried to maintain his usual cheer about the matter, there was a certain horror behind his pupils when he was retelling his own version of the story. "What should we take from this then, do you think?"

"That you should try and do nice things for a guy. Not just cooking, that's CLEARLY a bad idea for some people. Maybe make 'em something if you can do that." He smiled, and winked. "People love getting gifts, right?"

She considered this carefully._ I did fashion that badge for Souji to commemorate the conclusion of the phantom thief case. Perhaps Kanji would appreciate something similar…_

"This next one, 'Surprise him by moving your fingers…'" Yosuke's usually carefree expression faltered. "'Towards… his-' AAARGH!" The boy furiously threw the paper away, while both he and Naoto tried to avoid looking at their similarly crimson faces. "That one, uh, means try new things. But not that. For the love of god never do that. Ever."

The detective used the tangible silence to reflect on this new insight. She was fully aware Yosuke's spin on the articles was subjective, and that her own initial impressions were likely what the author intended, but she felt like she had learned something. Against all odds, she was impressed with the boy from Junes. "Thank you senpai. This has proved enlightening." She caught herself. "For my, um, grandfather's investigation."

"Eh, I do what I can." He leaned back into his chair, tipping it at an angle. "I'll get some credit when you catch the guy though, right?"

Naoto had to catch herself before she burst out laughing. She barely obtained any recognition solving real mysteries, and her friend had the naivety to think as small a contribution as his would be enough? "I'm sure we'll find you a deputy sticker somewhere..."

She coughed mischievously into her fist, leaving Yosuke to roll his eyes. "Not cool dude. You're lucky I'm on break, you'd be sitting all alone while I'd be off having something better to do."

"How horrifying a fate that would be," she murmured. But she quietly knew, behind her sarcasm, his presence was welcome. That initial hour of scouring through the magazines had last her feeling isolated, and alien to those around her. She was still conflicted as to whether relying on her friends was a weakness or a strength. For now, she was content to enjoy the company. "So, how is the supermarket business faring?"

The boy grinned, raising his eyebrows. "Naoto-kun, you're attempting some small talk?" He laughed, so good naturedly there wasn't a hint of condescension. "It's okay I guess. I mean, we haven't got competition for miles, so all my dad has to do is keep things running and we make an easy profit."

The economics of such an enterprise intrigued her. "But surely he needs to show growth in the store? That's a basic principle of how a business should operate."

He nodded. "Well yeah. That's why we try and jiggle around the goods we bring in; see what actually sells around here, and for how much."

The detective tilted her head sideways. "You seem rather knowledgeable for a shelf stacker."

"Hey, I am WAY more than a shelf stacker," He objected, stretching his arms and pointing back at himself. "I'm a jack of all trades!"

This time she couldn't contain the laughter. "That is a wonderful term to describe a dogsbody."

"I resent that!" His irritated expression softened into nonchalance. "But whatever, I get paid better than half the guys here. Anyway, my dad's always going on about his grand plans for the store whenever we're at the table, I guess I picked up on some of it."

"So he has larger aspirations for the store?"

"Yeah, some of it's pretty interesting actually…" As he began to describe his fathers' grand plan for the store, they both failed to appreciate an odd looking pair striding into the food court- a broad, gangling blond, and a shorter girl, clad in green.

* * *

AN- I got way more mileage out of this scenario than I thought! Maybe Yosuke isn't as bad a guy as I keep thinking he is...  
It's been fun having the characters bounce off each other. And the next chapter is gonna throw these 4 together pretty heftily, so I hope you look forward to it!


	7. KC and NY - Dating?

"So where is he?" Kanji and Chie had stalked down far too many aisles in their pursuit of possible free food. Yosuke, who must have sensed the impeding danger, had seemly made himself scarce. As a result, the colossal tailor was starting to believe the exercise was a waste of time.

"How should I know," the girl shrugged, "I'm not his keeper." She was cheerily bobbing alongside him, her own conviction intact despite her student's dwindling interest.

"Coulda fooled me." His comment earned him a surprisingly painful slap to the back of his head. He angrily snapped it to his side, loudly complaining, but on the way however, a flash of cobalt caught his eye. **That shade looks familiar**_… _Putting his anger to one side, he peered closer. **Oh, hell no**_._ There was Naoto, apparently oblivious to his presence, listening intently to what looked like… **Yosuke-senpai?! **A swift pang of jealously flipped his stomach as quickly as he dismissed it. It was… **What's a Naoto word for that... Irrational!** He doubted she would really go for that guy, or any guy really, which, while a big problem for him in a single, obvious way, was also a massive relief in others. No, the current problem was that she was here, right now, completely out of the blue, appropriately enough for her wardrobe. Kanji was never prepared for their encounters in the truest sense, but at least he could set aside ten minutes to make sure he wasn't too affected by the head rush or hyperventilation. Without that, there was the ever present possibility of fainting, puking, or generally humiliating himself. At this point, running away seemed like the sensible option. **There are bushes on the bottom right? I can make that jump…**

He registered a faint tapping on his forehead. "Uhh, Kanji? You there?" Chie was tilting her head, and looking over her friend's features with genuine concern. "Didn't think I hit you that hard…"

He slowly raised his hand and pointed to the duo at the table, mumbling "Naoto."

"Is it?" Chie squinted. "Oh yeah, so it is! Yosuke too! Hey," she beamed brightly, "We can get the Junes boy to buy steak for all three of us!"

"Like some sorta date?"He was whispering, suddenly afraid of being the detective noticing his existence. "I ain't ready for that man."

Her response to his worried tone was quizzical expression. "Didn't you say you went to Aiya's with her? That sounds like a-"

"It wasn't a date!" **I think. **It didn't say as much on the invitation he sent her anyway, and he figured that was important detail. "Maybe we should go; they look like they're busy…"

Her giant of a friend being reduced to a scaredy-cat so easily amused Chie to no end. But she was his sensei now, albeit in a limited capacity, and she knew what had begun as some familiar low level blackmailing in the pursuit of delicious meat had developed into a situation, one she had to coach her apprentice through, and by god, she'd do herself proud. "Come ooon, Kanji-kun," She said teasingly, "You aren't scared of an itty-bitty detective prince, are you?"

He glared back furiously, his cheeks already considerably reddened. "It's almost like you weren't listening at the goddamn river!"

"But just think," Chie began, draping an arm over his shoulders, "It's perfect! Sitting outside in this wonderful weather, sun shining, perfectly catching the form of the beautiful, firm, succulent, delicious-"

"Uh, Senpai?" He looked at her strangely, and ever so slightly scared. "You ain't talkin' about Naoto, are ya?" **God I hope not.**

"N-no!" She removed the arm and used it to wipe some drool from the corner of her lips. It was hard to stay on task when the dream of steak was becoming so tangible she could already taste it. "But you can't live in fear of ever talking to her! This is exactly what we talked about, push through it!"

Her words struck so true he could only squirm. "But it's haaaard…"

The martial artist stamped her foot hard on the concrete floor, and produced an expression she hoped was on the more motivating side of menacing. "Kanji Tatsumi, you go over there and get us some free steaks this minute!" The sudden silence in the bustling food court told her she had been louder than she thought.

This caught the attention of Naoto and Yosuke. She had just raised the point on how his father's plans to diversify the stock of the store could clash with the overall vision of the Junes brand, but the noisy, almost screeching sound interrupted them. Turning their attention to its source, they were both surprised to see a sheepish Chie and a mortified Kanji, the latter of which throwing them a helplessly meek wave. Naoto felt a peculiar wave of nausea. _Kanji-kun? Why is he here? Damn it all, I was not prepared for such an encounter… _Her thoughts whirled dumbly through her brain until they settled on one disturbing problem. _The magazines. Hell._

As she struggled with her currently compromising position, Kanji was dragging the slightly shaken Chie to their table by the scruff of her arm. **Least** **I waved, right? Means I played it cool… **Of course he wasn't convinced of that one bit, forcing a small smile in greeting to the seated pair. "H-hey guys. What brings you he-" He paused. "Are those magazines?"

_Drat. _The detective had attempted to shove all the publications off of the surface to be hidden underneath the table, to the raising of Yosuke's eyebrows, but a couple stray issues remained in plain sight. "Hello, Kanji-kun, Chie-senpai. I was having a discussion on the economic aspects of the running of the store with Yosuke-senpai." _ Deflection can work real wonders, _she reminded herself_._

The tall blonde shrugged, plonking himself down across from her side of the table, with Chie following suit. "Oh, thass' cool. And the magazines?"

_Why is he so persistent?! _Surprisingly, it was Yosuke who answered the question. "They were there when we got here. Kinda stupid people will buy this stuff and just throw it away right?" His assistance was appreciated, but entirely unexpected. She turned to him with an odd expression, which he returned in kind with his own. They seemed to reach some kind of understanding, but Naoto was doubtful they were truly on the same page.

The two newcomers were oblivious of the pair's non-verbal communication. "Right…" Kanji agreed, absentmindedly grabbing the magazine closest to him, and started flicking through its pages.

Chie was fidgeting too, and felt the need to say something. "So, do you usually read this type of thing, Kanji-kun? They seem pretty dull if you ask me…"

The tailor looked up, a small part of him wanting to outright deny the claim and start yelling about something different. But he'd outgrown that. "A little I guess. Some people come to the store and ask for dresses n' stuff that are pretty much what's in here. Helps being ahead of the curve is all." He returned to the photos on the paper and grimaced. **Though anyone asks for THAT and I'm throwin' 'em out the door.**

Naoto nodded with a reserved enthusiasm. "Smart thinking, Kanji-kun." It pleased her to no end whenever he demonstrated a flash of real intelligence, real proof of his defiance to the expectations of those around him, all the while raising her own opinion of the hulking blonde.

"Hey, that is pretty clever," Chie concurred, realising that it wouldn't be amiss to big up his student in front of the object of his affections. "You've really got those street smarts nailed, Kanji-kun!"

The unexpected complements gave Kanji a nice feeling, however odd and forced it was in the case of Chie's delivery. "Its nothin', got a job to do, right?" Looking closer at the magazine however, ignoring Yosuke's rolling eyes, he frowned. "Uh, that's weird; someone's cut pieces outta it."

Naoto tensed, and Yosuke once again quickly covered her. "Hahaha, yeah that is weird, like, super weird. Weird, freaky weird." He winked to his side to blushing Naoto, and clapped his hands. "Anyway, what were you yelling about back there Chie? I heard the word 'steak'," he groaned, "but everything else was incomprehensible."

"Oh! Yeah!" She pointed an accusing finger. "You owe me money, but because I'm sooo generous, I'll let you buy us all steaks instead!"

She relaxed into her seat smugly, crossing her arms, while Yosuke grimaced in disgust. "DUDE. That's totally not equivalent, like, AT ALL!"

The sliver of evil in Chie's smile was just enough to make Kanji feel guilty for even being associated with her ploy for food. In hindsight, partaking in an operation that was essentially blackmail was not particularly noble. Adding the fact that Naoto was here to watch and maybe even judge them, he found himself regretting accepting her offer. The carnivore herself however shared none of his remorse, almost gleeful. "Tough luck, you should've paid me back earlier. The debtor has spoken!"

"That's completely-" He stopped suddenly, his brow furrowing thoughtfully. "Wait a second…" It shot right back up, as he yelled incredulously, "Hey! I did pay you back!"

"What?! No you didn't!" To Chie's credit, she was genuinely surprised, a fact plainly obvious to Naoto. Casually observing their exchange, she deduced that there were only two possibilities, Yosuke did have a debt to repay, or Chie was manufacturing such an event in an attempt to fleece the boy's pocket. But evidence was scarce. More information was needed.

"That's bull! Last week, remember? I found you on the roof and gave you the money." He winced. "Then you kicked me in the nads for paying it back a couple days late…"

_Interesting… _Yosuke was telling the truth, the specificity in his account and his overall demeanour matched this. But they couldn't both be correct; her two theories directly contradicted one another. _But they can both believe they are correct. _During her thoughts, they were both still arguing, somehow dragging their mother's into matters as far as she could tell, whilst the blonde boy across from her meekly kept his eyes glued to his magazine. She found it ironic how, in the past, he would jump in to create pointless conflicts with those around him, but now, with one between his friends right in front of him which he could positively try an defuse, he kept out of it. A Shirogane, however, finds a resolution. "Senpai," She began, addressing the two of them. Neither noticed, too focused on hurling insults at one another. She raised her voice. "Senpai?" Again, she was ignored. Irritated now, she tried increasing the volume. "Sen-"

"SHADDUP WILL YA?" Kanji had noticed her vain attempts to interject, which made sense, seeing as she was constantly in possession of his attention. To Naoto's annoyance, the arguing 'couple' clammed up immediately. How she longed to have that kind of definite presence. _There was a reason I masqueraded as a man for so long after all…_

"Thank you, Kanji-kun." He bashfully went back to reading. She wasn't going to go down old roads. Right now, she had a mystery to solve. "Both of you believe you are in the moral right here, correct?"

They both nodded. "Well obviously, she's the one trying to scam me!"

Naoto raised a hand to cut off Chie's imminent eruption of anger. "Well, you obviously have different stories. Yosuke, why don't you begin?"

The boy wrinkled his nose. "There's no story to tell. I borrowed some cash of her to get a CD, and I paid her back for that. That's that, end of."

"Uuugh, that's not it!" The green clad girl narrowed her eyes. "You paid me back for that CD, but you still owe me for the lunch last month, a bunch of DVDs, some weird manga you wouldn't shut up about, some sneakers you swore you needed to fight the shadows…" She carried on listing off miscellaneous items, the sound of her foot tapping becoming more intense as the size of the list grew.

Naoto gave Yosuke a sideways glance, dumbfounded at how many worthless possessions he had apparently collected. "Senpai, why in the world have you found need for so much, well, frankly, junk? The debt you have amassed must be quite substantial…"

"Hey, there's just a lotta stuff a guy like me takes an interest in. I'm a renaissance man!" The detective remained unimpressed. "Eh, whatever," he threw up his hands, "All that stuff is way less embarrassing than your feathermen collection."

_How does he know about that?! _Her eyes lowered, and her entire body slumped. _Oh right. Damn my shadow-self… _"I'll have you know the monetary value in those figures…"

Yosuke waved her off. "Yeah yeah yeah." He diverted his attention back to Chie for a second, who was impressively still going through her list. "Man, I didn't think I borrowed off of her that much…"

"It's entirely nonsensical," Naoto scoffed, "As far as I am aware, she remains unemployed, whilst you constantly remind us of the hours you slave in the store."

"It's not that crazy. My dad's weird about when he gives me my paycheck, and then Teddie somehow manages to take half of it."

"But Teddie is employed here as well…"

Yosuke shook his head solemnly. "His expenses are something best left to the imagination. The minute he found out about online shopping…" He shuddered. "I asked once. Never again."

"So you just let him have free reign over your finances?"

"I have to. Tell him off for it and he starts bawling, and my parents still think he's an exchange student, so I have to be 'extra accommodating'."

Naoto smirked. "Situations like yours remind me how wonderful it is to live alone."

Yosuke scratched his ear. "Man, moving out is gonna be so-"

"ARE YOU GUYS EVEN LISTENING?" Chie found herself on her feet, palms slammed against the table, face red, breathing deeply.

Nobody could think of any immediate response, one that wouldn't incur the girl's infamous wrath at the least. Kanji braved the waters. "Uh, sorry… the winter styles this year are looking…" He couldn't think of any meaningful comments, the clothes were all so bland.

The brunette patted the air, like you would to calm a rabid beast. "Chill, sure we were. I've definitely paid you back for all those though… Ninety nine percent of it at least!"

"What about that one percent though," Chie seethed, frowning, "I'm sure you owe me something."

"Senpai, there is a simple solution." She looked between them both pointedly. "Chie-senpai, do you have any physical record of any of the transactions between yourself and Yosuke?" The older girl's posture slackened as she looked to the floor. "With no contract, or proof, he legally can't be held accountable. You could try a small claims court, but they would come to the same conclusion. You are owed nothing."

"Naoto-kun…" She lowered herself back into her seat. If she was going to be a cop, she had to believe the law would always win, even when it was against her.

Yosuke, legally in the clear, whooped, raising a hand for a high five from his impromptu lawyer. When it wasn't reciprocated, he turned to smirk at Chie. "Well that blew up in your face."

She shook her fist angrily. "That doesn't mean this is over!"

He suddenly started laughing. "Is that why you brought the big guy along?" He gestured to Kanji, who had finally thrown the trashy magazine away. "Hired muscle? Were you going mafia style, getting protection money?"

"Hell no!" Kanji was tired of having a thuggish image, and being in front of Naoto only made him touchier about it. "We were just hanging out when she had the idea."

"Ooooh, hot date?" Yosuke's comment stirred an uncharacteristic twinge in the blue haired detective. _Was that… Jealousy? Such an irrational emotion is unbecoming…_

The pair on the other side of the table blushed considerably. "Of course not you pervert!" Chie exclaimed indignantly. "We were training actually. Something you should probably start doing if you want to bag a 'hot date'." The last two words were spoken with a mocking, overly masculine voice.

He looked down to his thin arms. "Ouch. Quit it with the personal attacks. Whaddya you know about dating anyway?"

She raised her eyebrows. "More than you, doofus."

"You've never even been on a date!" He snorted.

Kanji and Naoto both gave each other a look. This was starting to turn ugly. "That's beside the point!" Chie was beginning to heat up again, but she began to simmer, and a lump of bile rose up in her throat. "Actually, I have been on a date."

"Oh yeah? Who with?"

"You." He almost fell out of his chair, while the other two pairs of eyes at the table grew wide. The martial artist's own expression had frozen in a state of sick unease. "Remember, when we were trailing after," she thumbed to Kanji, "This moron, during the case. And from what I remember, you were a particularly crappy date."

Yosuke seemed to be gagging. "Oh god, so my first date was with…" He balked, realising he said that out loud. "No wait! Obviously that wasn't my first date; I've been on tons of dates! Yup, so many women…"

Chie sighed. "See? Absolutely clueless."

"Hey!" When you attack a man's technique with women, he inevitably gets defensive. "That's not a fair test! That situation was completely skewed; we were stalking a guy for Christ's sake! It doesn't even count, right guys?" They looked at their shoes; neither feeling as if they could comment on such matters. Yosuke tried to regain a cool demeanour. "I get a date today, and you'd see how great I'd be! Yes sir, you would hear no complaints!"

"If you got a date today huh…" A smile appeared in the corner of Chie's mouth, exposing what Kanji would swear to be fangs. "What would you wager on that?"

"Oh no, I'm not making any bets!" He vigorously shook his head side to side. "You'd find a way to screw me, 'specially considering how you're all worked up right now."

"I AM NOT-" She paused, noticing her friends were shaking slightly. "I am not worked up. Look, here's my proposal. I bet you I would be a waaay better date than you'd ever be. If I win, you buy us all a round of steaks, just like I asked before. And if you win…"

"You don't harass me for money I may or may not owe you, ever again." He dramatically placed the back of his hand over his heart and stared into space. "My heart can't take the stress. Oh, and," He added, putting on one of his slyer smiles, "You have to spend one day training with me as your instructor. And you have to wear a swimsuit!"

The boys' perversions had done a marvellous job of lowering the tone and making everybody at the table uncomfortable. "B-b-but," Chie spluttered, "That's not a fair wager! Both sides have to have put up something equal!"

"Steaks are expensive, it's totally fair!" He was still smiling in that slightly disturbing way. "So, are you gonna chicken out?"

"Ugggh, why do you have to be so…" Her features creased, and then relaxed, as she slowly exhaled. "Ugh, fine, I agree, but as well, when I win, you never ask me for money ever again, ok?"

He nodded. "Great! So, uh, how are we going to do this? How the hell do we judge this kinda thing, judges?"

"Well…" She took a look at the girl aside Yosuke, and turned her head to the boy aside her. "How about we double date, with these two? We can all decide who wins."

It took a while for the proposal to register with the two candidates. They had both tuned out of the bettors bickering at this point, and gone back to their favourite pastime of giving one another lingering glances whilst the other wasn't looking. But their eyes met, both filled with alarm, when they processed what they were being asked. **_They're asking us to go on a date!?_**

As perfect as it would have been for the two lovestruck fools to be thrown together on a whim, Yosuke had to complain about the flaw in the setup. "Hey! If you go out with me, then you'll try and sabotage me and make yourself look good! I'll team with Naoto, and you get to pair with the big softie."

Chie had to admit his system was fairer, and the more she thought about it, throwing Kanji at the object of his desires so suddenly was a recipe for disaster. The blonde himself was simultaneously relieved and disappointed. **Wait, should I even get involved? **"Uh," he began, as he so often did, "I'm not sure I'm cool with this…"

Chie rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Kanji-kun, it's not a big deal. Gimme some help here! Remember, there are steaks in this for ya!"

"Wait," Yosuke started, "If I'm buying food for everyone if I lose, isn't Naoto gonna be working against me?"

Naoto closed her eyes, not quite believing the ridiculous scenario she was now in. How could she have ever known taking on the case in Inaba would lead her being dragged in to ridiculous wagers? "Senpai," She sighed, "If you believe the promise of animal carcass would ever affect my integrity, I would be very curious as to what other notions you have about me…"

As Yosuke shuffled awkwardly, Chie brightened up. "So you're in?"

"I…" She thought for a moment. She hadn't the faintest idea on how to conduct herself on a date, especially one constructed purely as a contest between two of her friends. But, it presented a unique opportunity. _Those magazines frequently referred to showing a romantic interest in others to generate a response in others… Perhaps the site of me with Hanamura-senpai will stir some feelings in Kanji-kun… _She nodded to them both deftly. "I accept your proposal. But to clarify, there will be no exchanging of bodily fluids or other such intimacy. So be careful what you do with your hands." She glared at Yosuke to force an understanding, who was suppressing a laugh, and as an afterthought, at Chie, in a bid to keep her getting too close to Kanji.

The tailor was surprised Naoto bought into the crazy bet so easily, though he felt none of the envy she was trying to evoke with her pop-culture inspired gambit. But if she was going for it, he had to as well. "I guess I'm in too then. Can't leave you hanging, right," He shrugged, smiling at Chie. Looking at Yosuke and Naoto so close however, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry. "One thing, like she said, no lovey dovey crap, alright?"

The green-clad girl made a face. "But then it's not a date, so what's the point?"

"Just be aware of the boundaries senpai," said Naoto simply, with a dangerous air.

"'Sides, you guys can't go around preying on your underclassmen." He laughed nervously.

Now that they were all agreed, they shifted in their seats, not entirely sure what to do next. "So…" Chie began lamely, "Where are we gonna go this 'date'?"

"Why not here?" Yosuke suggested.

"You can't go on a date where you work!" Chie argued, "That's just tacky."

"Well, what else you can you do in this town for free, honestly?" The rest of the table had to agree, the town wasn't particularly geared to accommodate for poor youngsters. "My break won't last forever and I want to get this over with. Let's go."

He stood up and went to take hi blue haired date's arm, but she took it away abruptly. "Go?"

"On a romantic stroll around the Junes shopping floor." The shop-boy's voice now was a cross between his salesman patter and Teddie's romanticised flair. "You'll fall in love as you glide along our polished floors! C'mon, before I start to think this whole thing is a stupid idea, deaaarest."

The wink accompanying the last word was cringe worthy enough to bring everybody else to their feet. Yosuke tried going for Naoto's arm again, but she deftly nipped past the boy and made her way out of the food court, the desperate brunette scrambling after her. Chie suppressed a giggle. "Yes! With Naoto-kun acting like this we'll win this thing for sure!"

"Uh, yeah, sure." The idea that she could act the same but with himself as her date was playing with his mind a little. His frustration came to the surface. "Man, why'd you have to come up with this shit," he grunted, "I'll probably make an ass of myself."

"Aw, Kanji-kun, it'll be fine," Chie said reassuringly, "Wasn't going on a date with her your endgame anyway? I just helped push things along!"

"I wanted Naoto to be my date, not go on a date which also has her in it!" He seethed, exasperated. "I can't believe this is my first date…"

"Now you sound like Yosuke," chided Chie, a big grin on her face, already relishing the victory over Yosuke. "Relax; I'll make you look good, I promise. Naoto-kun will wish she was on the other side of this double date! Now mush!"

With a push from Chie, they began to trail after them, closer to each other than their counterparts had been. Despite the martial artist's outburst of confidence however, they moved in a rigid, almost robotic fashion, with none of the excitement of a young couple.

Further ahead, by the stairs down to the shop floor, the detective had stopped to let her 'date' catch up. The Junes boy was more than a little irked by her earlier shunning, and panting from the running, so he leant on the banister and scowled at her. "Y'know, you could've stayed outta this if you wanted, I wouldn't have blamed ya. But you didn't, so could you play the game? At least a little?"

A game appealed to Naoto's repressed, childish side, but this one was significantly more adult than any she had experienced, save for the murder and mysteries she had taken up as a career. She decided that she should take this competition seriously. Speaking of mysteries, there was that emerged at the table that needed to be solved. "One question senpai- why did you insist to the others those magazines were not mine?"

He gave a casual shrug. "You had that 'deer in headlights' look when they came over, then you tried getting rid of them all. I figured you wanted to keep that case of yours on the down low."

Her relief was almost palpable. He hadn't read any further into her reaction. "Thank you, Hanamura-senpai, your discretion was most apprecia-"

"Ooor, the tips you were getting for those poor impressionable teenagers was actually for you." He was only teasing, but her composure snapped, putting her into a stunned state. It was mirrored by Yosuke, who was speechless, mouthing words until they finally came out. "I… Wow… Holy shit, you've got that deer look again. You must like, one of them." He studied her carefully. "Chie or Kanji? Wait, you said you didn't like the models…" He pointed a finger at her frantically. "You like Kanji!"

"Hush!" The detective knew her crush and his date would be upon them any minute. "Such matters are irrelevant right now. We need to focus on winning this bet of yours, yes?" _This might keep him quiet in the short term. _She presented him the crook of her elbow, which he only took after a few seconds of confused staring. "Shiroganes are not losers, understood?"

"Right, partner." The sarcasm in his 'partner' was only slight, and the pair gave smug smiles to the two friends joining them.

Kanji was slightly confused, but Chie just about freaked out, grabbing her dates' right arm with both of hers in a lame show of one-upmanship, which only baffled him more. "Hell are you doin'?" He muttered.

"We. Have. To. Win." She seethed through a smile. Trying to look elegant, she whirled the two of them past their competition and started hopping down the steps. On the landing, she turned back to face the couple leaning on the banister, who were too busy watching her strange antics to move themselves. "Are you two lovebirds gonna to join us?"

They came down with flight with pomp; Naoto was leading after all. The two couples walked side by side down the last flight, Kanji stumbling slightly, dizzy from the energetic twirls Chie put him through. At the bottom, they paused, all realising that while Junes was an okay place for a date as a last resort, they weren't sure what exactly they could do there, which, to be fair, would have been the case anywhere for these clueless adolescents, so it wasn't the worst thing. Wandering, with a painful silence between the four of them, so somehow settled in the fresh goods aisle. All exchanging strange glances, Kanji began furiously rubbing the back of his neck, whilst Naoto began fidgeting with her hat, fixing it to different positions on her head.

Chie knew she had to break the terrible silence, but she could only do it in the most absurd way possible. "S-so, uh, what's your favourite fruit Kanji-kun?"

"Huh?" The boy looked at her as if she had gone insane, and the other two weren't displaying much confidence in her mental state either. Scouring the brightly coloured display with his eyes, the answer came to him with relative ease. "Oh yeah, apples, gotta be. They're just good, y'know, all red and shiny… And you can cut 'em into slices which is… different…" He coughed, realising he might have stretched how much you can describe the virtues of apples. "Uh… What about you senpai?"

"That's easy!" Her smile was slightly forced, showing far too much enthusiasm than anybody had any right to for fruit. She grabbed a shiny round object from the display and bounced it off of the inside of her elbow. "Oranges! The skins fun to break through and they're so damn juicy…"

"Hey hey hey," Yosuke interjected, seeing his friend begin to juggle the orange fruit. "You touch it, you buy it, alright?" She stuck her tongue out at the shop boy, pretending to lick the orange while placing it back with its brethren. "Dude, ew." Shaking his head in disapproval, it struck him that he might be losing points be not conversing with his date. "Okay then, Naoto-kun, what fruit do you go for?"

"Hmm…" She wasn't one to particularly scrutinise what she ate, but after living in the same place for a few months, as opposed to her usual pattern of travelling around the country, she had decided to pay more attention to what she put on her plate. "Bananas are excellent sources of vitamins and potassium, while reducing the risk of developing several cancers. So they seem like a logical candidate."

**Logical candidate…** **She talks so weird. **Then he found himself thinking about her eating the yellow fruit and- **STOP RIGHT THERE. **He needed to move his brain somewhere else, and fast. "I-er. That leaves you Yosuke-senpai."

The boy waved an arm callously. "I dunno, I've never really thought about it. Fruit isn't really my thing anyway." A pointed look from Naoto told him he needed a real answer; else begin looking like the weaker pair in the double date. "Watermelon's pretty good I guess. Haven't had any since that time at Souji's though…"

"Oh yeah that was gorgeous!" Chie exclaimed, savouring the memory of her friends, and the memory of the fruit's delicious taste. "We really need to do that again sometime." She tilted her head dreamily, and spotted something on a shelf in the distance. She tugged on Kanji's arm like a child at the fair. "Can we go look that the DVD's? I need to see if they have any more kung fu movies!"

Before he could answer, the blonde was pulled across the tiled floor by the excited martial artist. As Yosuke moved to join them, Naoto gave him a very serious frown. "If you want to win this bet, you have to be more involved."

"Oh, so now you're the one giving me dating advice," He muttered angrily. "I still believe you actually like the big lug."

"I-It's not that outrageous." she stuttered, cursing herself for being so easy to read.

"Whatever. How long have been head over heels?"

"I am NOT head over heels," She said impetuously. Such a description went against her carefully cultivated image of herself. "We have a date to be partaking in."

She took long, stamping strides as she marched to DVD section, Yosuke in tow. They entered t the sight of Chie completely nerding out, Kanji nodding sagely while stifling yawns. "…And this one is where Yung Cheng made his debut!"

"Uh-huh."

"There's this scene where he fights off, like, 6 mercenaries with only his shoelace and a shirt button!"

"Really…"

"And then in the end, it turns out his father was the one who killed his wife? It was such an emotional scene!"

"You don't say…"

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?!" He took a frightened step back, looking to the floor sheepishly. Chie looked satisfied, until she noticed she had an audience, moving to close her date, and announcing shakily, "It's okay darling." She turned to the other pair and said as an aside, "We're always like this."

"Kanji, if you want my advice, get out while you can, before she goes full crazy on you." He sighed dramatically. "It's such a shame couples have lost the affection between themselves, don't you agree Naoto-kun?"

"Yes, it is rather alarming." She smirked.

"Well, at least we can show the world how a date really should go," He said in grandiose fashion. "Are there any titles that interest you, my love?"

Naoto joyfully leafed through the boxes until she found something she could talk about at length. "This film is engaging. It tells the tale of a young detective, who is faced with his most villainous adversary yet."

Yosuke grinned like a wolf. "That sounds fascinating, tell me more!"

"A series of grisly murders leads the detective learning more and more about his quarry, which, I might add, is done in a fashion faithful to how a real investigation is carried out."

"Well authenticity is important. What happens next?"

"There is a dramatic climax, in an abandoned industrial park, where he pursues the murderer, but only finds his reflection in the mirror. It was the detective himself who was the killer."

"Wow! That sure sounds-"

"Which was a completely idiotic twist, considering it created a plethora of plot holes and had no hints prior that lead to that conclusion, which is essential for any murder mystery." Naoto had contained this tirade inside of her ever since viewing this film on a lonely Saturday evening in a dark hotel, and only now had the chance to voice her criticisms. Forgetting she was playing one of the parts of a cheerful couple, she continued. "Furthermore, he shoots the mirror, which in itself breaks all sorts of codes relating to firearms use by law enforcers, and this apparently destroys the murderous part of his psyche, which is completely unrealistic as to how multiple personality disorder works.

"Er…" Yosuke faltered, surprised at her sudden venom, "Well, I thought that sounds cool! Boy, imagine going on a date with someone who wasn't interested in what you were saying. That sure would make for a crappy date…"

Chie had no idea that Yosuke would be so ruthless about coming out on top on this bet, or that their detective friend would be so eager to assist him. Looking up desperately at Kanji, she tried for a counter attack. "Kanji-kun… What movies do you like on there?"

The tailor was oblivious to what she wanted from him. "Uh, me? I'm not so into movies. I'm usually sewin' or summit so I'm never payin' attention when there's one on TV."

His date struggled to restrain herself, sure that cuffing him around the ear would probably lose her points. She needed time to get away, think of a better plan. Inspiration struck. "Put the scare in him," she whispered to Kanji, before calling "Girl conference!" Sweeping up Naoto, she pushed her away from the group.

"Hey, where're you going with my date?" Yosuke asked, stopping just short of trying to pull her back.

"Oh my dear sweet Yosuke," She drawled, the confused Naoto struggling in her grip. "It is tradition on a double date for the girls involved to set off together and discuss matters in private."

His catching the occasional TV drama told Yosuke she was correct, however, her version was slightly different. "Like, when they go to the bathroom together on TV?"

"Bathroom?" Naoto stopped struggling and experienced some mild psychological trauma, convinced conservation in a public restroom was not conducive for a healthy lifestyle.

The shop boy had already let his imagination run wild. "Well, as long as you girls have fun in there…"

Chie huffed in annoyance. "It doesn't have to be a bathroom you moron. Look, we'll meet up by the TV's later; it'll be like old times!"

They were gone without another word. The two adolescent males eyed each other with the upmost suspicion. "Jeez," Yosuke breathed, shaking his head, "Was Chie always this weird?"

Kanji, of course, was not qualified for this question. "I dunno man, you've known her longer. Prolly jus' cus' of the situation."

"What, a fake double date," He said, rolling his eyes, "This is completely normal."

They both laughed nervously. Kanji could stand the shop boy when he was like this, friendly, not trying to make fun of someone every two seconds. "Hey, d'ya know what Chie meant by 'put the scare in him'?"

"Wait she said that?"

The taller boy nodded. "Just before she dragged Naoto away."

"She must really want those steaks…" Yosuke started chuckling. "Hoo boy… She really did bring you in as hired muscle."

"Enough with the thug crap…" He growled, prompting his friend to shrink slightly. It still surprised him how easy it was for him to make Yosuke cower, even after his unusual hobbies became common knowledge.

"I still don't get why that's such a big deal for you," He whined grumpily, "I'd love to be able to scare people. It'd help in customer service, lemme tell you."

"It's just not me dammit." He ran a hand through his hair. "It'd just be great if I could sell a doll to a kid without their mom lookin' ready to make a break for it."

Meanwhile, Naoto was staring into the face of an apologetic Chie, in one of the superstores' many generic aisles. "I'm sorry we got you involved in this stupid thing," The girl in green sadly, "I know this really isn't your area."

The detective straightened her jacket. "One has to learn of such matters at some point."

"…Huh." For all of Naoto's growth, Chie never expected her to be this collected. Maybe she was more open to dating than she thought, which would be perfect for her student.

The detective considered how strange it was for the two of them to be alone, in Junes of all place. "Senpai, what is the purpose of this 'girl conference'?"

"Oh! Y'know…"Chie thought for a second about who she was talking to. "Okay, maybe you don't know. Just girl talk I guess."

"Girl talk?" _Like those horrible stereotypes in the magazines? _"I-I'm not sure I can partake in such discussions. I lack the proper credentials."

"Don't worry; basically we take some time to discuss the people we're with on the date!" The girl explained brightly.

"Behind their backs?" Naoto was unsure. "Isn't that deemed socially abhorrent?"

"It's perfectly fine," She said, waving away her concerns with her hands unsuccessfully, "Besides, I've never done this before, it'll be fun!" She her upbeat attitude sank. "Might as well have some, looks like I'm losing anyway…"

"A negative attitude is never conducive for victory."

"I know, I know, my kung-fu manuals say the same thing. But me and Kanji are hopeless-" She stopped herself, reminded it was poor form to badmouth a guy in front of his crush. "…Together. I mean Kanji's great, and I'm alright I guess, but we aren't meshing well enough to win this date. You and Yosuke are really in sync actually. It's kinda freaking me out."

The shorter girl laughed good naturedly. It boded well for her future with a certain individual if she could put on a show of model behaviour on a date. She hoped she could replicate the performance during the real thing. "Senpai, I doubt if this was a true 'date' that would be the case. I am merely assisting Yosuke as I am fighting his corner. Kanji-kun should be doing the same for you."

"But he's so-" She stopped herself again. "I mean, uh, he's not as… Sneaky, as you? He can't put on a show, the pageant showed that…" She shivered. Those legs on display both horrified and fascinated her. "He's great at a whole buncha other stuff. He's strong, hardworking, and apparently he can stitch with the best of them!"

Naoto was slightly confused as to why her friend was telling her information she already knew. _Though she is correct about his performance in this 'date'. Perhaps I'll have to take the lead on such matters if we do ever enter a relationship… _Thinking about him, she was reminded of another boy, her current 'date', who actually knew she harboured secret feelings for the tailor. Who was notoriously loose lipped. Who was talking to him right now. _Crumbs._

Simultaneously, Yosuke had gone back to his usual routine of teasing the taller boy, but this time, with actual volatile ammunition. "Found out something interesting about Naoto today…"

The pair had taken to walking through the store together now, deciding that standing by the DVD's would just be weird. "That's just great, Yosuke." Kanji responded simply, lacking the energy to tell him where to stick it.

"Yeah," He trilled nonchalantly, "Turns out she's not a lesbian."

If Kanji had a drink to spit out, that would have perfectly summed up his reaction. Alas, he had to settle for being stopped dead in his tracks. "Ya what now?"

The shop boy grinned wide as received his intended response. "Yup, bet you feel relieved, huh?"

"And what if I do?" He always became defensive when Yosuke brought up the detective, usually for good reason. "How did that even come up?"

"Trust me, it did." The entire situation was too elaborate to go through in detail, plus he didn't particularly feel like ending Kanji's suffering and telling him painfully his obvious pining was reciprocated. "If you ask me, it's disappointing."

"Disappointing?"

"It would've been totally hot, y'know?" Kanji's eye roll was immense, and he worked hard to tune out the rest of his friend's rambling. "And she had the highest chance of being one out of all the girls. Plus I had this bet going with Teddie…"

"Can't you just be happy for her?" The tailor said angrily. "That shit's real hard to work out, especially on top of her other shit. Good for her."

"S'not that hard to work out," Yosuke remarked carelessly, "Girls are great, everything else is ewww, end of."

He realised he may have overstepped a boundary when Kanji's huge figure was looming right over him. "It's 'not that hard'?" He growled menacingly. "Let's see how hard you are…"

"Ok ok okay, I'll shut up now." The larger youth backed down, but his posture told Yosuke it was only with difficulty. This was one slight he wouldn't forget.

Back to the girls now, who were slowly making their way to the TV section as promised. "Hey, Naoto-kun, you know a buncha stuff about the police force, right? Not just detective stuff?"

"Why of course, senpai," She answered, "But I'm not entirely sure this goes under the banner of 'girl talk'…"

"Oh don't mind that it's stupid, anything can be girl talk." The martial artist smiled, but Naoto could tell she was unsure about something. "Naoto-kun, you wouldn't lie to make me feel better, right?"

"The truth is paramount in my profession and my personal dogma, so no, I wouldn't."

"Do… Do you think I would be a good cop?"

She only had to think for a second. "You possess many of the qualities necessary for an excellent police officer. You may be a little rough around the edges, but I'm sure the academy would straighten those aspects out." The girls' smile lost all of its insecurity, and the detective found herself smiling with her. "Has that been a long term aspiration, or…?"

She shrugged simply. "Not really, it's just been growing on me the last few months. With the case, and that time me and Souji took on some bullies, I realised I actually liked that stuff, protecting people. It makes me feel good, gives me a purpose, you know?"

"I understand precisely what you mean," Naoto nodded sagely. "It's funny, perhaps in your later years you could become a detective as well."

"We could make company! 'Shirogane and Satonaka: Private Investigators'! Oooh, or 'S&amp;S: Mystery Solutions'!" She laughed. "I dunno, we've got a while to sort that out."

Naoto smiled, but shook her head, closing her eyes. "Private investigation is not the Shirogane way. We enjoy our work as consultants, but like to avoid weaving ourselves into the web of intrigue surrounding other's private lives."

"Spoilsport." Chie said, sticking out a tongue. "I'll get Kanji-kun instead; he can 'persuade' my suspects!" She remembered she was supposed to be talking him up. "Y'know, because he's so big and strong, that's one good thing about Kanji-kun. Another is…"

The tall blond himself had been enduring an uncomfortable silence with his companion. Sighing angrily, he looked the brunette straight in the eyes. "Why d'ya have to do that shit man?"

The brunette ran a hand through his hair. "What shit?"

"Bein' a total prick kind of shit." His powerful stance slackened into something more defeated. "Wouldn't it be easier to not be a total asshole to people? Seriously, it gets on everyone's fuckin' nerves."

"I'm not a total asshole;" he argued lamely, "Sometimes I just say things at the wrong time is all."

"Then why not stay friggin' quiet?"

"That way no one would listen…" Before his very eyes, Kanji saw a sight he would have never expected- a Yosuke completely devoid of a cocky attitude. "Look, when I first got here I was the new kid, plus everyone automatically hated my guts because of the store. Getting cheap laughs by saying anything that came into my stupid head was the only thing I had. Sure, I ended making fun of a lot of kids, but that ended up being only time they weren't making fun of me." He lowered his head dejectedly. "I don't want to be that guy, but it's so hard to change, even after everything last year..."

"Uhh…" Kanji was entirely unsure as to how he should react. On the one hand, the sob story didn't make his friend's actions justified. On the other, he knew how hard it really was to break out of old patterns. "It's okay man... You don't have to be that guy anymore, y'know? Just remember that sometimes, alright?"

Yosuke laughed mirthlessly, a mere shade of his authentic one. "You're starting to sound like Souji."

"I ain't that smart. Just cut it out when you can, or else…"

The mild threat in the last sentence was distinctive. "Nope, now you sound like Kanji again." The boy smiled again, with a lot more warmth, and Kanji was reminded of one of the reasons he made dolls in the first place- he liked making people feel better. "Huh?" Yosuke looked around their surroundings. "Would you look at that- We're in the TV section. Must be muscle memory, right?"

"I guess." The tailor stared at his reflection in the screen. "Say, you ever try…" He trailed off, reaching towards the screen, pulling back, and repeating the motion, getting closer every time, but never quite getting his hand through.

"Since it all ended? Nah. No point, though we should probably check it out now it's all tranquil and stuff. Though I do miss seeing Susano-O…" He looked up at the tailor expectantly. "Did you ever get started on making…"

"Trust me, they're coming." The team had begged him individually to make special plushes of their personas, and he figured by giving them birthday gifts, by the time being spaced out he had enough time to make them each perfect. Although for Souji he was considering making a group of smaller dolls featuring his favourites.

The pair noticed a sound coming steadily closer. "Oh, and did you know he got through like, half of the rainy day beef bowl challenge! It's not as much as me and Souji did but hey, it's something!" The boys couldn't particularly make out what the voice saying, but its' tone was familiar. "Hey fellas!" The girls had finally rejoined them, Chie up front, and Naoto calmly behind, overwhelmed by the bragging she had received on Kanji's behalf, and utterly oblivious to its purpose. "Wow, you guys still have the same TV on display? Ah, how nostalgic!"

"TVs don't sell in this town," Yosuke shrugged noncommittally, "What can you do?"

Chie sighed in wonder. "So many adventures started here… Really, it all started right here." She turned to her friend in blue. "You ever miss it Naoto-kun?"

She shook her head slowly. "The mystery is solved. There's nothing compelling about the past, so there is no point in dwelling on past glories." Seeing her companions dejected expressions, she quickly added, "But my memories of the team are fond."

Yosuke, remembering there was still a bet going on, manoeuvred himself besides his date and winked at her. "Of course, your memories of some are fonder than others, hmm?"

Naoto straightened when she felt the arm snaking around her waist, and purely on instinct, twirled and slapped its master across the face. She was mildly horrified by the pure viciousness of the action, but did not show it, standing boldly with her hands on her hips. The brunette just began to sag to the floor, whining in agony, while Naoto raised a single eyebrow. "We had an agreement, remember?"

"Yes ma'am…" He stopped on one knee, keeping his face low and hidden, trying to retain some sort of dignity.

The other two were barely suppressing their revelry, Chie in particular not familiar with the sight of Yosuke getting his comeuppance, usually being the one handing it out. "When will you learn," she sighed through tears of mirth, sidling up to her tallest friend, presenting him proudly with a showbiz arm. "Of course, a real man like Kanji would never intrude upon a lady's personal space!" The girl thought she was the best wing woman ever at this point, having spent an age describing or in some cases slightly embellishing on Kanji's positive qualities. She absentmindedly placed the hand on his chest. Unfortunately, the large youth had his own personal space issues. Looking down, and seeing the palm right THERE, he panicked, him sidestepping to get it away and somehow tripping the girl so she got a face full of floor.

Lacking Naoto's self-control, the tailor couldn't hide his own fright at what he had just done, leaving him petrified, mouth agape. "Shit, I-I'm…"

"It's… Okay, Kanji-kun." She panted through the pain, twisting herself onto a sitting position. "Besides, we've won anyway!" She stuck her hands in the air and cheered. "Steaks for everybody!"

"WHAT?!" Yosuke objected, trying to stand but only making it half way before the agony sent him tumbling back down. "Ow, Christ Naoto, you hit harder than Chie…"

Usually the martial artist would have taken a lot of offence at the attack on her pain-dealing skills, but she was lost in a meat-rapture. "I'm gonna order the biggest thing on the menu. Oh god, where are we even going to go! Choices, choices…"

"You still haven't won you know." Yosuke said, shaking his head.

Chie pointed at his face, and spoke in a sing song manner. "You got slapped! That's an instant date-breaker. Therefore, I win!"

"Hey, you ended up on the floor too!" He argued.

"A minor detail," she said, dimissing him with a flick of her wrist.

"Well, we were winning up to that point, we had way better chemistry!"

They both looked to Kanji and Naoto, who remained silent through this exchange. "So, who won?" They asked in unison.

This was a question they didn't want to answer. Choosing between two friends was one thing, but in a contest where both of those asked to judge have little knowledge of what metrics to base their scores on. "Umm…" They stalled together. **_What do I say?_**

"Listen," Kanji started, surprised he was he one getting the ball rolling "I know jack shit about all of this, so, uh, I'm sayin' anything. Except on the slap, which was totally awesome by the way. Naoto?"

Whilst she was annoyed her crush had passed the buck so quickly- _Not a desirable quality _ – she was secretly pleased at the comment on her assault on Yosuke. "I agree with his sentiments. I'm not experienced enough in this subject to pass any judgements. Deliberations will have to be between yourselves."

The pair on the floor scowled. "You two are useless," Chie moaned. "Just say a name."

Yosuke was equally irked. "Yeah, it's not-" He suddenly realised the time from the watch on his wrist. "CRAP! I need to get ready for my shift!" Standing up, with difficulty, he began walking to the employee area, faint groans of pain meeting every step.

"Wait, Yosuke, we need to settle this." Chie called after him. "Yosuke? YOSUKE!" She ran after him, and started yelling intelligible things into his ear, to which he was arguing back with his shouting, which carried on until it faded in the depths of the store.

Naoto and Kanji stood there cringing. Once they realised they were alone, they started taking an increased interest in the floor. "That was an… Interesting experience." Naoto observed casually.

"No kiddin'. Those two always know how to make things… Weird." The detective, standing there awkwardly, shifting her feet imperceptibly, as beautiful as ever, brought Kanji's ever present feelings further into the forefront of his mind. He thought about asking her on a date- one on one, none of this double crap – but decided the day had been far too weird to attempt building any further on their relationship. That was his excuse, at least. "Welp," he clapped, "I've got some cases to solve, and I'm guessing you have some bears to stuff, so I best be going."

Naoto raised an eyebrow. "Kanji-kun, I'm the detective, and you're the tailor. Remember?"

**The hell? **In the scramble to leave, he'd let his wires get crossed. "Oh, uh, really? That sure is somethin. Bye." He scarpered, leaving a bemused girl to fix her hat to its proper position on her head.

_The day's events must have had a bigger toll on him than I thought. _One good thing had come out festivities however- now she was more curious how a real date would pan out, which would hopefully manifest in such an event happening sooner. She hoped. As she left Junes however, two shadows- one incredibly slender, the other round and bulbous- moved out from the doorway they were hiding behind, conspiring and scheming. What they had planned for those two lovebirds… What they had planned…

* * *

You know, I really didn't want this to take three weeks, but eh, that's what happens I guess. My overall goal is to get this fic finished by the end of the summer. I think I can make that!

I really like this chapter, it took a while to get started, but once I did it went to places I really liked. I particularly enjoyed letting Chie talk to Naoto about her dreams of becoming a police officer as she is just the right person to ask about it! Giving Yosuke a little extra depth with his explanation for his sometimes questionable behaviour was great too- I give the guy a lotta stick, but he's a good person really.

But most of all thank you for reading, especially if you have from the start! Tell me what you think so far, and I'll see you all next time! -_**WN**_


	8. Kanji, Teddie and Rise: Tackling

Kanji had actually enjoyed his day so far, which was unusual, considering he'd spent its first few hours in school. Saturday lessons had consisted of concepts and problems that, for some unknown reason, he had actually understood, and not only that, given a good shot at working out. In hindsight, he should have known that was a bad omen.

**Maybe Naoto could help me finish 'em off…** It seemed a shame for him to leave the job half done, plus any time spent with her was definitely not wasted, even if it involved voluntary schoolwork. As he walked home, the idea grew on him, and just on the edge of the shopping district he pulled out his phone to send her a text asking for help when-

"BEAR TACKLE!" Suddenly, and with barely enough time to catch a glimpse of his assailant, he found himself being thrown sideways by an impact into an alley, with two stick-thin arms wrapping around his torso in a vice-like grip.** The hell?!**

He knew it was Teddie assaulting him. The distinctive voice and the need to throw in a furry pun made it pretty obvious. What Kanji didn't know was why, and as an aside, how someone so scrawny could have such a tight hold. Struggling on the floor, he was about to violently express his displeasure. "What the hell do you think you're doin' you stupid-" He was cut off by a pair of legs entering his view, covered (if you could say that) by tall stockings. **Fuck. **Teddie wasn't the real problem here.

The legs bent down to the floor, Kanji pointedly keeping his eyes glued to the gravel, on pain of certain death, lest he see something his shouldn't, and in any case, really didn't want to. He saw his phone, thrown asunder by the attack, being picked up, with a giggle as the figure read the screen. She stooped down to his level, presenting the half-finished message with a smile that was far too demonic. "Kaaaaanji-kun," Rise teased, "Why are you meeting up with Naoto, hmm? Hot date? And I wasn't invited?"

"What?!" Kanji felt rumbled somehow, despite honestly not wanting anything near to a date; he doubted his heart (or nose) could take it. "It says it right there," he said defensively, wriggling an arm free and pointing to the phone, "Just studyin'."

"Sure," she drawled, rolling her eyes, presenting her fingers for the inverted commas, "'Studying'. That's what I always told Souji, and let me tell you," she winked, "It worked a total treat!"

Teddie, for some reason still devoted keeping groaning Kanji pinned to the floor, looked up excitedly. "Oooh Rise-chan, did you score?"

She pressed a crafty finger to her lips. "I'll tell you when you're older. But seriously, you should take us along. We can totally help with numbers and stuff!"

Kanji, deciding he had enough, made a move to stand, getting some purchase with his feet and extending his legs, his massive strength meaning he took Teddie with him. He snapped his head to the blue-eyed blonde, now balancing precariously on his shoulder. "Christ would ya get off already?!" A shake of his torso finally sent Teddie to the floor, with a limp whine of pain. He turned his attention back to now giggling Rise Kujikawa. "Since when do you study? Without Senpai involved I mean."

The idol tilted her head; a move designed to be cute, but in this context was only terrifying. "Weeeell," she sang, "You let Yosuke-kun and Chie-chan join in your last 'study session', I figured we'd be more than welcome!"

**Goddammit. **He thought, considering Naoto's quieter tendencies and how standoffish the two stooges had been over the past week, that weird afternoon would be forgotten, and kept under wraps. Apparently he was being optimistic. "How do you even know about that shit?" He spoke quickly and furiously. There was no point in denying it; he knew from experience that Rise would find a way to turn it back to him.

"We were there, Kan-chan!" Teddie had noticed his agony on the floor was being ignored, and sprang back up into the conversation. "I know all the best places for hiding from being on shift, so we tracked your movements! It was just like on TV!" The boy laughed, failing to notice the vein starting to pop on Kanji's forehead. "You didn't even notice us! I guess that means Teddie is a ninj-"

The tailor grabbed the collar of his friends' ruffled white shirt. "WHAT THE HELL?!" A smirk from Rise only served to further infuriate him, but it brought him back to reality, and seeing the tremors in Teddie's face reminded him he wasn't supposed to be this violent, angry person anymore. Breathing heavily, he released his grip with a mumbled apology (mentally kicking himself for ruining such nice fabric), and turned to who he was sure was the real mastermind. "Just… Why?"

Smiling, the idol clapped her hands, bringing a cheerfully unharmed Teddie to her side, who pulled out a piece paper with crude crayon drawings, the only connection between each of them being a blue smudge and black smudge featured in each picture, which were being highlighted by an extendable metal pointer Rise had apparently kept for such an occasion. "It all started when I saw you two walking home together from the school gate. Naturally, as your friend, I had to follow you both to make sure you weren't doing anything," she stuck her tongue out to the red faced tailor, underlining the picture of the two smudges next to a crude blue line, "Inappropriate. And man, I could feel the awkward from my hiding spot and that was like, miles away. Then you flew off the handle about something and, ugh. It took like, three showers to wipe the cringe off."

With how long he had known the pop star, he wasn't even surprised at her actions, but his right eye began to twitch nonetheless. "So… You're telling me you've been-"

She poked his nose with her pointer. "No questions until the end of the presentation!" She now pointed at Teddie. "After that, I figured this was a two man job, so I got this cute little bundle of joy involved."

The 'bundle of joy' nodded enthusiastically, pointing to the two smudges sitting at what might have been a table. "Rise-chan said it'd help you guys! So I started keeping watch on both your movements. I bear-ly caught you two on your date at Aiya's, but I did!"

The idea of Teddie shadowing his movements over the past few weeks wasn't a particularly pleasant one. "That was not a date! How did you even-"

"No questions!" This time Rise almost got him in the eye, and he resolved to just keep scowling until they stopped talking. "He said it looked pretty boring, you were just talking! One of these days I'll have to show you how to really act on a date," she flirted, with a cheeky wink. "Anyhoo, few days later I saw you and Chie-senpai running past the shop, so of course I had to follow. I thought you were being a stud and playing the field!" She slapped Kanji playfully on the shoulder, who shrugged it off with an aggressive grunt. "It was totally hilarious when you were punching the thin air by the way. That video is gonna get so many hits…"

"I was already in Junes looking for Yosuke," Teddie continued before Kanji could voice an objection, "And then I saw him with Nao-chan and thought she was playing the field too! So I hunkered down, bear-y quietly, then you and Chie-chan joined them!"

"So I joined up after following you two. Yeah, that whole bet thing was weird." The idol made a circle with her pointer by the smudges being joined by their green and brown counterparts. "And trust me, the whole food court knew about it." She winced. "I swear Chie-senpai needs a volume dial. But overall, we concluded your date was kinda sucky, and that wasn't even the important thing. Clearly you've been trying to get with our favourite detective over the last few weeks, and props for finally trying." She deftly compressed her pointer and laid an arm across Teddie's shoulders. "But considering how that hasn't completely worked out for ya, we're here to help!"

Kanji looked suspiciously between the pair. "That's why ya ambushed me?" He shook his head in disbelief. "You think you're gonna help?"

"Yup," Rise replied brightly, "Aren't we the best?"

"Y'know what?" He was completely pissed at being stalked and spied on, but he thought back to the advice Chie and Souji had given him, how while it hasn't exactly paid off yet, it was actually pretty useful. Maybe Rise and Teddie would have something god too. "I'll take it," he sighed. "Whaddya got?"

The idol's eyes grew wide. "Oh! Er, great…" She gave a sceptical sideways glance to Teddie. "I was half expecting he'd just yell and run off."

The blonde beside her waved off her concerns. "Of course not, Kan-chan wouldn't reject the advice from two love masters like us!"

"Yeah, right…" She said shakily. Regaining her composure, she flashed a smile. "Alright, let's get outta this alley guys. It's totally bad for my complexion." The boys obediently followed her, settling on a nearby bench in an apparently random patch of grass. Kanji and Rise took a seat, while Teddie preferred to circle them like an overexcited puppy. "Okay," Rise began carefully, "I think this should be pretty easy, but you're overcomplicating things. So basics. What is it about her that, I dunno, makes her crush material to you? Puts her above everyone else?"

He figured the answer would come naturally to him, but nothing was forthcoming. After crushing on her for so long, he forgot how it had felt when it all started. "Uh. Well, she first talked to me when she first came to town. She dressed well, I liked that I guess…"

He scratched his chin while Rise rubbed her eyes. "Come on, Kanji, clothes are like, your job, you're way more into that than a regular person. What is it about her, specifically?"

"Hold up." The tailor looked at her oddly. "You don't think it's weird I was thinkin' like that when we all thought she was a dude?"

"Duh. I'm not Yosuke." She smiled warmly, and then laughed. "Honestly, I thought she was really cute too until she opened her mouth with that smug superior thing she always had going on. She was a real jerk in those early days." Kanji thought back to that Naoto, aloof and mean-spirited, considering for the first time how much she had changed in the months he had known her. **Wonder if she thinks the same about me...** "Saying all that," Rise continued, "I still think she's cute now." She grinned mischievously, "You really need to get a move on Tatsumi, the competition's only gonna pile up."

"Competition like Teddie!" The mascot thumbed to himself resolutely. "And Teddies are destined to win the hearts of all the beautiful ladies!"

"Bad bear!" She threw a pebble at him playfully. "Naoto's for Kanji," she winked at the tailor, "At least for now."

The bear pouted. "That's unfair. Love is a sacred battlefield, where all comers stake their claim, only to fall at the feet of the true king of romance!" He swept a hand through the air dramatically. "I'm sorry, Kan-chan, but if you ain't got the game, you can't be a playa!"

"Ugh, where do you even hear that crap," The idol sighed, shaking her head sadly, "We need to get him to live somewhere that isn't Yosuke's house."

"I ain't takin' him," Kanji quipped, raising both his palms. He used one afterwards to scratch his forehead. "Y'know, I still don't get why his parents still let you crash there."

"You know me," he replied dreamily, the air shimmering around him, "The ladies just can't say no. And in that house, whatever Mrs. Hanamura says, goes!"

"Ew, TMI, TMI!" Rise gagged, scrunching her eyes shut and covering her ears with her hands.

"Dude." Kanji said blankly. "That sparkle thing is still weird to me."

"It's not that hard Kan-chan! All you have to do is-"

"Hey!" The idol exclaimed, aiming an accusing finger at the tailor. "We're getting sidetracked." She leant in unnervingly close to the seated boy. "Come oooon, spill it, what is it you really like about our detective prince?"

"Uh…" Kanji pondered for a few moments. "She's… Cool, right? I mean, she's a detective prince and she's our age!" His friend's looked unimpressed, eyelids half closed, so he pressed on. "An' she's always calm and together which is… nice…"

Rise and Teddie exchange expressions containing a mixture of disdain and pity. The girl turned back to the tailor. "Dude, that's far too general. We need specifics!"

"She's smart," he blurted. Rise's persistence somehow snapped a straight answer outta him. "I… like that?"

His friends nodded gently. "Go on…" Rise encouraged softly.

"She talks with all those big words, and she always notices the little stuff, like durin' the case. N' she always tries to help me with school even though it never sticks." He shrugged uncertainly. "So that's all nice I guess…"

Rise rolled her eyes. "So she's smart. That's about the most generic answer I've ever heard." She stuck a sly tongue out. "Kidding, but c'mon, you got anything better?"

"Yeah Kanji," Teddie interjected, counting off with his fingers, "You haven't even talked about her nose, or her shoes, or her hair, or-"

"We got it already," Rise sighed. "You sure appreciate the 'finer' things in a woman, huh Ted?"

"That's why I appreciate you, Rise-chan!" The bear replied obliviously.

"Ugh. Kanji, say something before he-" She paused, her features creasing in a bemused manner. "What am I saying, of course looks are important," she muttered quickly. A smile stretching her lips, she focussed on Kanji and tilted her head. "So, what do you think about Naoto's appearance?"

"Well, uh…" He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find the right words. Sounding crass like Teddie was the last thing he wanted. "It's like you just said earlier. She's cute, always been cute. Like she's always been this itsy bundle of cuteness that I figured I'd never see in anythin' that wasn't stuffed, which is amazing, 'cuz I've made a LOT of stuffed shit and they're all cute as hell. A-and," he stammered, beginning to blush furiously, "Whenever she's actin' all serious, it only gets… uh, better…"

"Aw, Kanji-kun, you're allowed to say hotter!" Rise said reassuringly, provoking the tailor to stare furiously between his feet. The girl squealed delightfully. "Man, you are sooo adorable!"

Teddie's eyes glowed as he raised his hand. "That's it! That's why you haven't scored with Nao-chan!" The pair on the bench eyed the bear oddly, who began to describe his grand theory. "You can't be adorable, the ladies don't want adorable. You have to be big, you have to be tough, and most of all, exude raw animal magnetism, like me!"

The standing blonde began flexing in a variety of poses, making unnerving grunting sounds all the while. Rise shot a tired, sideways glance to her friend beside her and said simply, "Kanji, stand up."

Slowly, the taller boy stood, moving himself to Teddie as such he loomed over the skinny mascot. In the giant's shadow, he shrunk back fearfully, easing a small smile at the side of the tailor's mouth. "I think I got big and tough sorted, don't you?"

"Yes sir," Teddie mumbled, making a shaky retreat.

This one sided exchange left Rise in a fit of giggles. "Teddie," she tittered, "Why don'tcha get us all some popsicles? It's getting awfully hot over here and I'd be very grateful."

Once she started fanning herself in extravagant fashion, the bear was helpless. "Don't worry, madam, Teddie will fulfil all your cooling needs. Away!"

And so, the impressionable boy ran from the still laughing Rise, who was shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm sorry Kanji, I didn't figure he would get this bad."

Kanji retook his seat next to her, rubbing his temples with a single hand. "It's Ted, what else did ya expect?"

"I dunno," she shrugged casually, "Didn't think you'd actually want our advice, remember?" A silence, not necessarily uncomfortable, settled between the two, as Kanji considered whether he actually did appreciate their intervention or not. Souji and Chie were sensible, and even then he had to spend a few hours psyching himself up to consider spilling his feelings. Rise and Teddie had jumped him, and the bear had predictably spouted a bunch of confusing bullshit. **Maybe this is a waste of time. **"You two would be a good couple y'know." It took Kanji a few moments to tune back into reality, where Rise was looking at him seriously. "Whenever we're hanging out at school together, you both just fit; I can't really explain it…" She drummed her fingers thoughtfully. "But it's there. I know you're both about as different as Chie and a vegetarian, but you'd be completely adorable together. And despite what Teddie says, that's a good thing."

"Ya think so?" He was beginning to feel easier. Of course he wanted their help, they were his friends, and despite their annoying quirks, they were good guys. "Thanks. I'm tryin' y'know, to tell her an' everything, it just hasn't exactly worked out yet…"

Rise chuckled with good cheer as Kanji shuffled in his seat. "It's okay, Moronji, what you've managed so far is a minor miracle as is." She cracked a fresh laugh as her friend shot her a dirty look. "Teddie's not totally wrong you know," she continued, unperturbed as the dirty look turned sceptical, "I'm not sayin' animal magnetism or whatever, but you need a certain something. Like a spark to blow the whole thing wide open!"

She gesticulated an explosion wildly, forcing Kanji to scooch away from her excited arms. "That sounds… Messy."

"Oh it's not that hard," she said soothingly, "All you need to do is tell her all the stuff you just told us, about how you like her being smart and cute or whatever." She scratched her head absentmindedly. "Though mentioning cute might break her strange little mind..."

**Mine too. **"I ain't sure any of that'll go down well…"

"Sure it will." She replied sunnily, "Girls love compliments! Even Miss Stick Up Her Butt!"

Kanji coughed. "I ain't convinced…"

"You're never convinced. Anyway, I have a plan. It's foolproof!" She looked across to the pavement. "And speaking of fools…"

"Popsicles for all!" Teddie had returned, with 3 of the frozen blue sticks in hand. Kanji graciously accepted his, and the bear only looked happier when Rise refused hers, mumbling something about calories. "So," Teddie asked, inbetween licks of his frozen treats, "Did you tell him about the plan?"

She smiled back knowingly. "I was just about to."

**Uh oh. **Any plan concocted by those two was doubt to come with a bunch of dangerous footnotes. The idea chilled his heart colder than the Popsicle he was nervously consuming. "Uh, the plan?"

Rise brightly displayed the standing blonde with an outstretched arm. "Teddie, you do the honours."

"Certainly madam!" The bear took out yet another piece of paper out from his pocket, with the same blue and black smudges as before, except now there was a train, and a bunch of buildings, and at the bottom… The two smudges merging, with a cavalcade of pink hearts littered around it. He circled each one of the images with the blue stick in turn. "So, we put you and Nao-chan on the train, you'll both be awed by the romance of the big city, and your triumphant love will bloom beautifully!"

"What?" Kanji squinted at their pair, who looked far too pleased with themselves. "We've both been to the city, how is goin' there any different to hangin' out here?"

"Ah," Teddie sighed dreamily, "You're missing out on the nuances of the thing. Fill him in, Rise-chan!"

"You see, Kanji-kun," she said coolly, with an arc in her brow that was far too ominous, "We'll be keeping the return tickets, so you're both sorting out your issues or you're both living homeless in Okina!"

Kanji sighed. They had to throw in something silly to what might have been a decent idea. "No. Way. I don't trust you two to not pull anythin' stupid."

"Oh Teddie, he doesn't trust us," Rise said with faux sadness, shaking her head. "But," she added, voice turning completely serious, "Once you're there, we aren't gonna mess with you or anything. We'll let you two talk to each other, fair and square, and well, you can tell us how it goes."

Her sincerity disarmed him, but for once, he listened to his brain. "Nope. Look, I know you guys are tryin' to help, I'll do it myself, alright? I kinda have to."

"But you're so slooow," Teddie whined loudly, "By the time you actually proclaim your love, you'll be so old you can't do anything with it!"

Rise breathed out slowly. "Okay, Kanji, I didn't want to have to do this." She stood up, beckoning Teddie beside her, and they both stood over the seated blonde. "If you don't go, we're telling Naoto you like her ourselves. No ifs, no buts."

Kanji froze, his eyes budging. He was wrong- they weren't good guys after all. "But- I- You-" He sealed his eyelids shut and tugged at the hair at the back of his head. "You… You can't do this! This is freakin' evil!"

"Oh boo hoo," Rise mocked, bending down to his level, which wasn't a long trip. "Evil gets results. So, you are getting on this train," Teddie held out the ticket, "At this time," she pointed at the one stamped onto the paper, "And you are NOT wearing a tank top. Get a nice shirt or something."

The tailor snatched the ticket with free hand, head hanging, and his defeat almost palpable. "How are you gonna get her there," he murmured quietly, "She ain't dumb, she'll suspect somethin's up, and then your threat's pointless anyway."

Rise smirked. "Trust me, we have our ways. Teddie, we're leaving." Grabbing his arm rather forcefully, she made big strides to get down the street, turning her head to yell "Be on that train! And get that shirt!" Seeing Kanji on the bench, his head still low, she felt the unfamiliar pang of guilt. As she walked, she turned to her partner in crime, with a desperate look in her eyes. "We didn't go too far, did we?"

The blonde shook his head slowly. "I don't think so… They've both wanted to score with each other for so long now, and I couldn't take it anymore!" He thought for a second. "Though you did get bear-y scary back there…"

"I was playing a part; I got into it a little too much. It's not my fault I'm such a good actress." She sighed at the terrible cross she had to bear. "I just can't help but feel bad. What if it goes wrong and they stop being friends?"

"Nothing can go wrong when love is involved!" Rise decided to leave Teddie's ideals unchallenged. "To tell the truth, I was feeling a little bad about it too, heh heh, so I did what I always do when I'm unsure about stuff."

"Hit on somebody?" The idol snorted.

"Almost!" He replied happily, "I talked to Sensei!"

"You WHAT?!" Rise covered her face with her hands. Senpai couldn't know about this, he'd never approve, never! "Why didn't you tell me, oh god, he's gonna chew me out so bad…"

Teddie looked at her oddly. "What's the problem?"

"Every time I've even joked about setting them up he's given me a lecture on 'letting things go at their own pace'." She shook her head. "This is horrible."

"Oh really? Sensei seemed okay with it actually…" Her head shot up. "I mean, he wasn't happy, but he said something like, 'if this doesn't work, nothing will'. So that's basically a go order, right?"

The idol, smiling now, still shook her head, but now in disbelief. "He must have finally seen them how we saw them…" She cocked a sly eyebrow at her friend. "We haven't had a command from him for a while now. Best we follow it right?" And so she took his arm, and they carried on, their steps light, plotting how they were going to bring the detective prince into all this…

Kanji sat on the bench, still shell-shocked, Popsicle now half melted. Rise had suckered him into a corner and he couldn't see the easy way out. Which he considered, might not be a thing, considering that's what he had taken with his last three meetings with Naoto. **When life gives you lemons… **He stood up, train ticket in one hand, and silently cursing the blue goop covering the other. With a newfound resolve, he marched home with only one thought on his mind. **I'm gonna make myself a DAMN good shirt…**

* * *

A/N: Y'know, at first I was worried about how this chapter was turning out, but I'm pretty happy about it in the end!

Hope you liked it too! And as for now, we're waiting for a train...


	9. Naoto, Teddie and Rise- Dressing

The envelope had gotten her heart racing from the moment she saw it. Envelopes in her shoe locker were not a rare occurrence, but this one was different; a shimmering blue, and joyfully bereft of the sickening love hearts or glitter that plagued the rest of her 'inbox'. She had half a mind to rebuke the advances of her suitors in person, calculating that a physical confrontation would shame them enough into leaving well alone. Still, that wouldn't be a particularly good use of her time, and the detective was well aware of the effort some of the more fragile students put into their handwritten proclamations, having slyly observed their creation when the breaks during school hours left her with nothing better to do then discover the source of all the waste paper in her locker. She yielded to continue ignoring such messages, and letting the fools sending them take whatever meaning they wanted from that.

No, her attention would be drawn to the interesting, the intriguing, and most of all, the mysterious. As she plucked the envelope, snugly tucked under the thick heel of her shoes (_Meaning it was left between periods, _she noted), the girl thought back to the last mystery that had begun with a message in this alcove. The phantom thief had been an enjoyable distraction, and productive too, what with the evolution of her persona to its more powerful form and the affirmation of her choice in career path. She turned the paper over in her hands, staring at it intently. _Perhaps Seta-senpai should be involved with this… _His companionship had been essential during that last investigation, and a new collaboration could prove to be invigorating- If this was the start of an investigation at all. _Perhaps this could be another love note, but disguised somewhat, _she mused, _Or perhaps Yakushiji-san and grandpa are repeating the same exercise as before… _She then tentatively allowed her imagination to run wild. _A student could be asking for assistance in a personal matter… Or one of the faculty… This could be whistle-blowing for a scandal in the administration. Oh! Perhaps it's an explosive device!_

She chided herself for the ridiculousness of that last theory, but the excitement still seized her, and she was about to childishly rip open the envelope when-

"Yo, Naoto."

The detective almost jumped, which would have least put her at eye level with the youth she faced after a precise one hundred and eighty degree turn. Staring into the chest of Kanji Tatsumi wasn't particularly unpleasant, a fact she was beginning to get more and more used to, but it was unexpected. "Kanji-kun…" She had honestly not given much thought to her crush and her emotions by consequence since that strange afternoon in Junes. She believed this was half due to her own avoidance of the whole matter, in tandem with the example being set by her two senpai that day not making any sort of relationship seem like a particularly appealing concept.

Remembering her manners, she straightened up and tipped her cap with a free hand, a move that always made the tall boy smirk. "Y'know ya don't have to do that shit, right?"

She shrugged back. "It was the manner I was raised." Living in Inaba had taught her a whole range of more informal colloquialisms, but only miniscule amount found their way into her speech and mannerisms.

"Ma tried to raise me nice too. These happened," he said, pointing to his ear piercings, "And this happened." He added, pointing to the scar above his left eyebrow. The smile that coaxed out of his little blue haired friend made him all gooey inside.

She herself took the opportunity to take her usual closer look at the tall blonde, a habit that was months in the making. She noticed an almost imperceptible darkness under his eyes, not enough to indicate severe insomnia, a telltale sign of restless stress nonetheless. "Have you had trouble sleeping?"

He chuckled. "Noticed huh?" He wanted to tell the truth, that he'd been a wreck for the past few days, with Rise's and Teddie's meddling giving him nightmares of various desolate futures, not to mention being tasked with making a shirt from scratch with no design brief, one that was needed for today. "Say," he started nervously. He couldn't tip her off, the idol's stipulations made sure of that, but he had to ask something. "You… got any plans tonight?"

Naoto grew wide-eyed. _Is… Is he asking me on a… _Being careful not to get ahead of herself, she spoke slowly. "No… I have nothing scheduled…" Against her own will, she bit her inner lip. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." **Because Rise is probably gonna you kidnap or somethin' soon. **He thought back to the damn shirt, which still needed some last minute stitching. "Anyway, I've got… Stuff, to do, so I'll catch you later." He completely missed Naoto's crestfallen expression as she said her farewell with a curt nod. Walking away, he rubbed his eyes. **And by later, I mean sooner.**

It was only when he was far away that he realised how he had phrased the earlier question, which explained how Naoto's features had changed to something uncomfortable. He promptly thwacked his head on the nearest available wall.

Back at the school, she shook off her disappointment quite easily, still enamoured with the mysterious blue envelope. _Its fortunate Kanji-kun didn't notice, _she thought. She might have tried roping him into the investigation, and the last time she had tried to incorporate aspects of her career into her… _Love life, _she finally accepted, it had produced an awkward encounter by the river. No, this would be handled alone, and with a flourish.

Neatly opening it with a small penknife, she pushed in its edges to get a better view of its contents. There were no faded maps, complex riddles, or body parts, so she considered it a bit of a letdown. She pulled out a simple card square, covered in stamped text and logos. _A train ticket? _She looked at the destination, Okina city, and then the time of departure. _Today, in… _She checked her watch._ Twenty five minutes. _She smiled softly, pulling her shoes out of the locker. Confidently, footwear exchanged, she strode quickly out of the school building. _Now, I have plans._

* * *

Naoto had optimistically classed herself as somewhat fit, using her past gruelling treks in the TV world as evidence to back this up. _Evidently not. _She arrived at the station with only five minutes to spare, with a humiliatingly red face and an embarrassing amount of sweat on her brow. _Perhaps I should formulate some sort of exercise routine… _As she stumbled through the turnstile, her ticket being eaten and regurgitated by the machine, she thought of Chie-senpai's reportedly constant quest for physical superiority, and wondered if she had any wisdom to share.

The detective took her position on the centre of the platform, feet strictly obeying the yellow paint of the safety line. She stood in a steady stance, legs apart, and hands behind her back, holding her briefcase. She wished she could have dropped the cumbersome thing off at home, but she hadn't the time. Yosuke-senpai had teased her endlessly about the thing, but you couldn't exactly roll up to a police station wearing a satchel and expect to be taken seriously, especially in light of all her other… Aspects. _Yes. Not shortcomings. _But she could get a more practical bag for her schooldays. Perhaps she could buy something suitable in Junes, or, better yet, commission Kanji to make something actually sturdy, which could maybe be accepted in both her private and professional life..

Her quiet contemplation was broken by the pounding of footsteps behind her. _An assailant? _While she had let her mind wander, she was alert the moment she had reached her destination; acutely aware she could have been set up for an ambush. Calmly, she waited until the precise moment before they would reach her, and sidestepped neatly to her right.

"BEAR TACK-"

The hapless blonde found himself springing through thin air, landing face first on the edge of the platform. Naoto shook her head at first, before hearing the roar of an incoming train. Noting her friend's dangerous position, she grabbed his legs and pulled him behind the safety line, before absentmindedly checking her watch. 3:44. This was her train. But there was one piece missing. Teddie was clearly involved in her being lured here, but he was never an instigator by nature. Who was his master? The obvious answer rolled in with the train. As the locomotive slowed to a stop, the detective found herself directly outside one of its doors, which opened to a view of Rise Kujikawa, leaning on its frame in a pose that wouldn't be out of place for a classic dame in detective noir, with a stoic, dismissive expression.

"Naoto-kun," she murmured dramatically, "I've been expecting you."

Her returning stare was blank, below a slackened brow. "You went through the irksome process of going to a station further down the line just to make this ridiculous entrance?"

The idol couldn't hide her excitement, and beamed energetically. "Yup, didn't it look cool?"

Naoto wasn't about to give her the satisfaction, so instead rubbed an eye tiredly. "What if I was standing in another position?"

"Teddie was supposed to put you in the right place."

"It's not my fault," The bear whined, on his feet and dusting himself off, "She dodged me! And I was being bear-y sneaky…"

"You yelled at the top your lungs after stamping your feet towards me. That is not sneaky," the detective replied in a terse tone. She watched as Teddie joined his collaborator at on the train, and proceeded to squint between the two. "What is the meaning of this tomfoolery?"

They looked at eachother in unison. "Tomfoolery?" They repeated together, snickering at first, before devolving into a laughing fit.

_Imbeciles. _The detective had to endure the sight of them doubled over until their lungs wheezed, whilst she tapped her foot impatiently. Rise got her back straight with considerable effort, and wiped tears from her eyes. "Tomfoolery… Oh Naoto-kun, you are a riot."

She only tapped her foot faster. "I'm waiting."

"Huh…" The idol pouted, which quickly turned to a conspiratory wink. "Guess you'll have to get on board to find out."

There was no way Naoto was boarding on a train based on the machinations of Rise Kujikawa. The only guarantee was madness. "Only after you explain the meaning of all this."

"Fine, I guess you'll never know…" _Dammit. _She knew she was being manipulated, her own inquisitive nature being used against her.A loud whistle cut through the air. "You're running out of tiiiii-mee," her tormentor sang teasingly.

Cursing, Naoto strode forward and hopped into the carriage, Teddie's delighted clapping punctuating her arrival. The door shut, and Naoto turned her attention to her evil classmate. "I am here. Now, explain."

"Alright, alright," she sighed playfully, moving deeper into the carriage and nabbing one of the table seats, her underling choosing to sit opposite. "You know, most people would love an unexpected meet-up with Risette, you should be more thankful."

Naoto remained standing, primarily so she could have a height advantage on the pair for the purposes of being menacing, for what little it was worth, although the slight lurching of the train mitigated this effect. "I have no time for this, get to the point."

Teddie spoke up first, to Rise's visible annoyance. "Well, Nao-chan," he began eagerly, pulling papers from his pockets that the detective could only perceive had black and blue smudges, paired together in a group of careless crayon drawings. Before she could inspect them more thoroughly however, the idol snatched the papers, stretching up to drop them out of the window, slightly ajar on its uppermost section. Teddie gasped as they sped away in an instant. "Rise-chan!"

She looked at the blond crossly. "We aren't going through it all ag- I mean, this is much quicker." She turned to Naoto, and spoke relatively plainly. "We know you like Kanji."

_Impossible. _She had been discreet; made sure only the trustworthy Amagi heiress was privy to that information. _But then there's Yosuke... _Spreading gossip to gain favour with a pop star on hiatus fit right into his profile, and thus made him the likely source of the leak. However, as the detective knew from investigating scandals in politics and enterprise, such a leak could be dealt with the right amount of denial and dismissal. "I'm not sure what you mean." she said evenly.

Rise rolled her eyes. "Quit it with that, just admit it already."

"I'll admit I have a certain fondness for Tatsumi-kun, as I have for the rest of the team." She said smoothly. It was always better to mix in truth when trying to deceive. "It's not much of a declaration, Rise-san."

"Man," the idol said irritably. She turned her head aside to her companion. "Ted, why is she so difficult?" He opened his mouth to answer but she waved him off. "Rhetorical, or whatever. Look Naoto, we know all about your date at Junes-"

The pair getting so close to the heart of the matter scared her, so she quickly interjected. "Whatever Yosuke-senpai has told you-"

The idol raised a steady palm with a stern expression. "Let me finish. Junes, Aiya, and by the river, we were there for them all," she said, counting them off with her fingers, "So we know there's something going on," she continued, face contorting to a frown, "So stop trying to weasel your way out of it."

_No… I would have seen them… _In her heart, she her rationalising was futile. Rise's expression was something harder than she had ever seen from her, and the fact she knew about their encounter at the river at all showed she knew what she was talking about. "That's a breach of privacy," the detective muttered lamely. She stumbled into the aisle behind her, sitting down and staring solemnly at her bridged fingers.

"Oh that's rich," Rise scoffed snidely, "The detective prince doesn't like snooping, oh whoop-de-doo..."

Teddie meanwhile had been curling up in his seat, his bottom lip trembling. "Rise-chan… You don't have to be so mean about it…"

A look in his direction had the effect of instantly softening her features, and cringing slightly at her own actions. "You're right. Naoto-kun, I'm sorry. It's just…" She paused, trying to find the right words but eventually just shook her fists and grunted girlishly. "You two are just soooo annoying. You need to get yourselves sorted out, ASAP."

Naoto's quiet contemplation was brought to a halt, as the idol's last word hit her. "As soon as possible…" She murmured quietly. She then regarded her two friends with an uneasy stare. "That was the point of your subterfuge? You're 'sorting us out'?"

"Now you're getting it!" Rise smiled cheerfully. "Clearly, you're getting nowhere on your own. So we're here to help!"

She shuddered, the idol's slightly demonic grin and Teddie's bright gormless beam not instilling much confidence. "…How exactly will you achieve that goal?"

"The way only we can," Rise replied, tapping the side of her nose.

Teddie nodded in enthusiastic agreement. "Trust us, Nao-chan, you're in safe hands. And claws!"

_Being ripped apart might be the preferable outcome. _Naoto shook her head, avoiding her friend's eyes. "No, that won't be necessary." She exhaled slowly. "Matters have… Improved. I believe carrying on in the manner I have been will bring success eventually."

"Eventually?" Rise balked, leaning back hard against the window. "So what, you'll tell him you feel when you're both like, forty?"

The boy on the other side of the table nodded again, but this time with a hint of sadness. "Rise-chan is right; love is for the young, for the beautiful! You don't want to be all crusty by the time you and Kan-chan get to smooch, do you?"

While his terminology was crass, Naoto had to concede that the bear had a point. She supposed there could have been more progress made, and perhaps subconsciously, she had prevented herself from taking the issue as far as it could have. _Time could be of the essence, _she thought, _who knows if an investigation could arise that could take me away from Inaba… _"Let us pretend for a moment that I accept your assistance," she started slowly, "Why would it require a train ride into Okina?"

"Easy," Teddie said brightly, "We're gonna doll you up, Nao-chan!"

_This is worse than I thought._ "No," the detective said firmly. "No you are not."

"It's not that scary Naoto-kun," Rise soothed reassuringly, "Besides, we've all seen you in worse when we were in the TV…"

Her eyebrows shot up, and her face flushed an angry shade of crimson. "Not applicable. For three reasons," she seethed through clenched teeth. "One, that was for purely tactical purposes, two, Seta saw fit to make everyone look equally absurd, and three, we agreed to NEVER discuss that outside the TV."

"Okay okay okay," the idol quickly conceded, swearing she could see fire erupting from her friends' mouth. "We wouldn't make you do anything you didn't want to y'know," she added sincerely, "We just, I dunno… Wanna broaden your horizons a little."

Being dressed by a boy with slightly perverted tendencies and possibly the most girlish girl in the prefecture was only a recipe for disaster in Naoto's eyes, especially considering her own huge apprehension to changing her wardrobe. The issue only became simpler yet more complicated as time wore on, as she struggled to justify why she kept avoiding the dressing style of her assigned gender. "No no, that's… Quite alright," She stuttered, sheepishly readjusting the hat on her head. "A-and I appreciate the thought. I'll just buy a return ticket as soon as we pull into the station."

Teddie and Rise just looked at each other sadly, before the girl decided to drop the bombshell. "We can't let you do that Naoto…" She presented her phone to the detective, a movement devoid of her usual happy energy. "You don't come along, and we tell Kanji all about your crush."

_Drat._ Naoto pursed her lips. She didn't even have it in her to be angry about the blackmail; Rise was doing an excellent job of playing her game. Rubbing her eyes with a single hand, she sighed with a slightly exasperated tone. "You are both feeling persistent about this, aren't you?"

"Yup!" Teddie confirmed happily. He stood up and stepped across to Naoto's seat, and bent over, face only inches from hers. "And you're not getting home until we do!"

"We have your return ticket," Rise explained, as Teddie backed off, "So you're stuck with us until we say so."

The detective chuckled. "What's to stop me from buying my own?" The idol idly held up her phone again."Ah."

"Mhmm." Rise agreed. "Teddie, frisk her." The bear was about to pat her down, with the level of excitement you'd expect, but she avoided his inevitable groping by rapidly shuffling down the aisle and throwing her wallet on the table. The blonde picked it up, ready to rife through its contents, before Rise growled "Teddie", and he threw her the wallet with a childish humph. "Thank you." She looked out of the window. The countryside had morphed into the concrete of the outer city. "Looks like we'll be arriving soon… Ready to hit the town?"

Naoto kept her expression neutral, trying to keep herself in the present, and not the shop floor she would be inevitably dragged along in the immediate future. She grabbed the side of her chair, and hoisted herself to her feet. "Can Teddie at least carry my briefcase?"

Rise smirked as Teddie diligently carried out the request. "Coming along quietly are we Naoto-kun?"

"Hardly; I just recognise a losing situation." _As much as that irritates me… _Naoto hated losing, especially against this opponent, who was nowhere near the vision she had for her own Moriarty.

This of course only delighted the lacklustre adversary. "Aw, it's okay Naoto-kun, I'll make you look so good you'll forget aaaalll about dastardly Risette and her flawless plans!"

"I'm sure," she replied dryly.

"And don't forget Teddie!" The blonde exclaimed, springing up in the air. Unfortunately, as the train had just pulled into the station, slowing to a stop, this left his velocity as odds with the floor, resulting in his second face-first pratfall of the day. Rise smiled sweetly and tittered as she stood up and held out an arm to hoist Teddie up.

The trio left the station in silence and hit the streets, the atmosphere a mix of Teddie's slight embarrassment, Rise's smug pride at her own victory, and Naoto's ever increasing dread. The latter was sandwiched between the two, their feeling being it would help if their victim tried to run. It was pointless; she felt well and truly cornered. She had proven over the last few weeks she knew very little about instigating a romantic relationship, but she knew one of the few reliable golden rules was that you yourself have to reveal you're feelings- if anyone else did it for you, then, well, you cheated, and that has a history of bringing some sort of horrible retribution further down the line. Even if that wasn't the case, it was a route Naoto would've liked to avoid. She enjoyed some good sport, and winning by cheating wasn't a victory at all.

The group halted in front of a clothes store, a distracted Naoto bundling into the idols' back. Muttering an apology and straightening herself, she peered into the shop. She knew the logo identified the establishment as one of the larger chains, but her knowledge stopped short there, and on that thought, she found her arms being taken from both sides as her two friends walked her, rather aggressively, into her own personal hell.

_Hell has a rather modern aesthetic, _the detective dryly noted. They were going for an exclusive sort of look, meaning a glossy white sheen on seemingly all surfaces, in addition to the same material on the mannequins. Of course, the usual pictures of models were interspersed in between the displays, showing simultaneously what could be bought, the fashions draped over their skins, and, with their confident poses, sultry smiles, and intense eyes, what could not. Naoto took solace in the fact the shop was currently sparsely populated with customers; an idol and detective prince were almost guaranteed to draw attention in Okina, where their presence was still a novelty. _And I'd rather there wasn't an audience for whatever humiliation I am about to endure…_

The blue-haired girl shook herself free from her friends' grasp, making their smiles wider. "Naoto," Rise teased, "You are so adorable!" The detective put extra effort into the glare she was shooting to her friend. The smiles grew larger still. "Oh man, you are just… Eh, whatever." she shrugged daintily. She opened her arms out wide and twirled like a bubblegum ballerina. "A whole world of fashion awaits us." She sang. "What first?

"The door." Naoto muttered darkly.

"I say shoes!" Teddie announced. He lifted a leg high as if to demonstrate his point. "They can take you places!"

Rise tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You don't usually pick shoes first in an outfit…" she hummed, and then clicked her fingers. "But that's a good starting point for a novice!"

Naoto resented being called a novice, no matter the field, but she didn't really have a retort. She found herself being shepherded to the footwear, being faced with shelves upon shelves of the things. The options weren't particularly appealing. There were boots, with endless laces and their material carrying on to a length that Naoto decided was only suitable for those who make a living in marshland. Otherwise, there were tacky trainers, plagued with only patterns of cartoon cats or love hearts for little variety, or, worst of all, the items with the unmistakable addition of a long, piercing, stiletto heel.

Which, of course, were the only ones Rise seemed to consider. She held a pair up to the detective's face, which were adorned with countless plastic gems and gold stripe patterns. "Aren't these great," She exclaimed, ignoring her friend's sullen expression, "You should try them on!"

_No, no I should not. _"Rise, such footwear is unwieldy and impractical. Never mind the fact it leaves your feet exposed to all sorts of possible hazards."

The idol rolled her eyes playfully. "That's why you wear tights, silly!"

Naoto gagged, a concerned Teddie slapping her back. "You okay Nao-chan? Did you do that thing where you swallow your tongue by accident? It happens to me all the time."

The two girls stared at the blond blankly. "…Does it?" Rise ventured.

"Well, you guys know how tough eating is right?" Their eyelids drooped. "Sometimes you end up gulping the wrong thing down."

Rise tilted her head. "You are an odd bear… But, let's not get sidetracked here!" She refocused her attention to Naoto. "At least try them on. Or I get my phone and go all text-y text-y!" The detective remained sullen and silent, and the idol knew she had to do more coaxing. "Heels aren't that bad y'know. You learn how to walk in them pretty quick, plus it makes you look way taller, and no offense, you need every centimetre you can get."

This tidbit pricked the detective's ears. The height difference had always been a logistical problem for a potential relationship with Kanji, if only for her own dumb pride. She would prefer not having to stretch up and him bend down whenever they wanted to… _It would be a simpler way to gain a height advantage. _Besides, she had to play to Rise's game, lest face the consequences, but at least she could force some girl closed her eyes, not quite believing what she was about to say. "…Something more formal- With no juvenile accessories or patterns of any kind."

Rise squealed in delight, tossing her first choice aside and presenting a new pair with indifferent zest. "Here you go. These should be small enough for you!" Oblivious to Naoto's offense at that entirely true observation, she grabbed her friends' shoulders and firmly sat her on one of the cushioned cube seats that were always available in a shoe department. "What are you waiting for? Try 'em on!"

Exhaling, the detective removed her current footwear, ignoring Rise's giggles at the sight of her argyle socks. She stared down the new candidates. They were black, clean… and that's about all that could be said of them. They were plain; entry level. Deciding to quickly rip off the plaster, she snatched the heels, forcing them onto her feet with some strained effort, and tried to stand. She failed, her centre of gravity now completely skewed, and was ready to topple forwards until a gentle but firm arm from Rise stopped her fall and kept her upright. She looked into the brunettes' face and frowned. "This is degrading," Naoto grumbled, shaking her head. She was disappointed to find her stature had only been marginally raised, having forgotten the platforms of her shoes had already offered a substantial boost that was difficult to improve upon. Still, as she taller than Rise now, but considering she was only wearing regular shoes, it wasn't much of a victory. Naoto tried to break off and walk forwards, but she only stumbled, being saved by Rise snatching the scruff of her collar. "Whoever thought such ridiculous footwear was a good idea?" The detective huffed.

She was about to launch into a longer tirade, but stopped short when Teddie glided across her vision. She noticed something different about him, but couldn't place her finger on what it was. Scanning down, she saw that, somehow unsurprisingly, he was wearing heels too, and irritatingly, was tearing up the shop floor with all the poise and grace she seemed to lack. "Rise-chan, Rise-chan," he exclaimed, spinning around daintily, "These are great, can I buy them?"

Rise chuckled, bouncing over to the blonde and patting him on the head affectionately. "Of course you can; just don't let Yosuke-senpai see them okay?"

The bear pouted. "Why not? He loves it when the people in his magazines wear them…"

Naoto cringed, in stark contrast to her idol friends' elegant brushing off of the topic. "No, silly bear, he'd just get, er, jealous!" She nodded animatedly. "Yup, I mean, remember that weird face he had after seeing you in the pageant? It'd be just like that again, being in, um, awe…" For some reason the detective didn't feel like setting the story straight, that their senpais' expression was actually a mix of confusion and crippling doubt, with a touch of green nausea.

_Which raises an interesting point. _The male student body had collectively exhibited a predictable level of shock and possibly disgust of Teddies' performance in that wretched pageant; the bewilderment of what one would expect being at odds with what was before their eyes, especially with the source of the dissonance being the subversion of the norms of both gender and their views on what was 'attractive'. Teddie played the part of a woman marvellously well on stage, and even now, he wore the shoes of the role better than she could ever hope to. _Perhaps his brain is worth picking.._. "Teddie," She began bluntly, "How can you be so comfortable with this?"

He smiled vacantly. "With what, Nao-chan?"

"I, uh-," She struggled, furiously pointing to their feet, "This. Before at that insufferable pageant. Wearing the costume of a part not meant for you."

Rise looked like she wanted to butt in, but Teddie's response was too fast for her. "But it is meant for me, Nao-chan. Teddies are supposed to be fabulous!"

"But you are a male," Naoto said flatly. "High heels are designed for women."

"So? That doesn't mean I can't wear them." He lifted he leg and showed off by shaking his foot. "They make me so tall, and Rise-chan says they make your calves look great!"

The detective rubbed her eyes, and was forced to use her other arm to help keep a semblance of balance. "Nevertheless it goes entirely against the grain…"

"Not really." He shrugged, and proceeded to count off with his fingers. "Let's see… Teddies are loyal to sensei. Teddies act like hot studs for Yuki-chan. Teddies help keep Nana-chan safe. Teddies eat popsicles until their teeth are all blue and shiny!" He folded his arms triumphantly. "And Teddies can do all that in heels."

_It would have been wonderful to develop in a supernatural world without the concept of gender roles… _Rise interrupted her forlorn thoughts, finally getting her jab in with a loud impudent snort. "You're one to talk about wearing a costume, Miss 'Everybody thought I was a dude'!"

She could only scowl in response._ Because that was my uniform, MY role._ Ever since she had begun taking on her own cases, she had projected herself as a male, because she felt she had to, she felt she needed to, and therefore, it was what she wanted, which was entirely different to Teddies' expeditions into the world of female fashion. A detective had to be strong, stoic, brave, and that meant male, according to every novel she had ever read, and film she had ever seen. But she was wrong. Souji had shown her, as had the rest of the team, she could be accepted as both a woman, and a detective. The two titles were separate, and could be upheld accordingly. In the aftermath of beating the true culprit of the murders, she still worked hard to ensure she deserved the name of detective, and by extension the name of Shirogane, by periodically reviewing old case notes, and having regular contact with her grandfather to bounce ideas and keep her mind sharp. The other title, the one of woman, had been left neglected.

She thought back to the start, those weeks where she decided to change herself. After spending countless hours in the mirror perfecting her mannerisms, practicing her posture, pronouncing her speech, and of course, making the necessary adjustments periodically where her body was betraying her, she slipped into acting as the boyish detective prince astonishingly easily. Naoto also remembered the days where she was younger still, well before undertaking any official casework, filled with dress-up and playing elaborate games of make-believe to provide narrative to her errant climbing and crashing around the Shirogane estate. She didn't care who she was playing back then, what hero or heroine whose shoes she filled, adorning herself with everything from dresses to shorts and even a full cowboy outfit that had somehow found its way into her dresser. Now she felt stuck, clinging to her flawed and outdated identity, knowing she had already made the change mentally, but hadn't quite yet let go of the shell that had grown from her insecurities and misconceptions.

Her two companions meanwhile were exchanging worried glances, finding her sudden silence and intense expression slightly unnerving. "Umm, Naoto," Rise ventured tentatively, "Are you okay? I wasn't trying to be mean; at least, I wasn't trying to be really mean…"

"Rise-chan," Teddie chided in a whisper, "You don't have the gentle paws for this mission. Nao-chan's bear-y sensitive about how cute a boy she was."

"I know that but-" The idol raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you think that's what got to her?"

"Of course," the blonde sighed sadly, "She's probably worried she won't be as cute a girl, but she will!" He nodded encouragingly to the unresponsive detective.

Rise slapped her face hard. "No, you moron, it's all those gender-identity-whatever issues she's got messing with her head. Didn't you listen when we fought her shadow?"

"Sure I did, but I was on the front line." He placed a solemn hand over his heart. "Bravely bearing my bear arms to claw at that dastardly shadow."

"That little robot jerk did all the talking before the fight even started."

"Oh Rise-chan," the bear intoned tragically, "You don't know what it was like up there in the firing line. It changes you, for you see I was once a happy, carefree lad, but the scars of battle left me a cold, cynical man."

The idol scrunched up her face. "What are you even talking about?"

"The campaign was fierce. I remember one fateful mission with my squad…"

Naoto was wisely choosing to stay in her own head while the pair were bickering, tuning them out to achieve some focus. So she had the detective part of herself nailed, did that mean she had to work on perfecting the feminine part? _This entire ritual of purchasing clothing to please a male… They said it themselves; they're here to 'doll me up'. Am I getting 'dolled up' for Kanji's sake? Would this make me more of a woman? _The thought flung her back to her talk with Yukiko, many days ago now, with the Amagi heiresses' words: _'I don't think he's interested in the usual stuff, like hair, makeup, and whatever'. _The detective had a feeling she was right, and a detectives' intuition was a valuable thing. So then, why was she in the middle of a fashion boutique?

"… So, everyone was KO'd and you got the last hit in, big woop- Oh hey, Naoto?" The idol noticed her friends' fists at her sides, clenched, knuckles white, while her facial features had only grown only more intense. "Seriously girl, what's wrong?"

Displaying any sort of weakness was an act Naoto despised herself for afterwards, but for now, she had to act in the moment. The last few weeks had worn her down- her babbling about perception to Souji, scouring of magazines for a step by step solution, and whatever madness was going through her damn head at the river. She let the tendons in her hand relax, and exhaled. She spoke softly and calmly. "I am frustrated. I am standing in a place I do not belong, surrounded by products that I should apparently find appealing by birthright. I am a woman in a clothing store who can't help but feel repulsed by everything in this damn place." She tilted her head back and looked to the ceiling. "I am here due to the machinations of my friends, in a scheme to entangle me with another one of them, a boy who it doesn't make rational sense for me to have romantic feelings for, yet they are there, disturbingly present and ever growing."

"I fear he is not interested in whatever I could change in these walls," she continued, voice imperceptibly beginning to crack. "After all, the introduction of an Idol to Inaba barely fazed him whilst it left everybody else head over heels. I can never be that feminine. I can never make it work. So either such girlish pursuits are no route to his heart, or I haven't a hope to reach his standards." She felt her right eye sting, a tear building up, the irritation and self hatred that had been slowly festering over the last few weeks coming to head. She tried to fight it, but her resistance was limp at best. Her composure was lost, her unflappable mask shattered under the wave of raw, unfamiliar emotion. "Even if I could, why would he want me? I'm just a silly girl who keeps pretending and pretending until the next tantrum. I've lived a charade and worn a façade for so long I don't know when I end, or even where I begin. I'm in a limbo of my own devising, and I'm not even sure if I want a way out." She lowered her eyes and stared at her two friends, silently noting with mild surprise their red cheeks and damp faces. "This purgatory is comfortable. Easy, even. But should I aspire to something more? What is 'more'; a system of living I've hated and ridiculed for years upon years? Is this the part I now have to play?" She lifted the hat from her head and placed it by her side. "I know I have changed, but can I change?" She spoke plainly and uselessly, the feeling of the single tear rolling down her skin to keep her from being entirely numb, "What am I doing here?"

The pair in front of her cried in unison, bawling at full force. "OH NAOTO-KUN!" They moved close to take her into their arms. She was rigid in their embrace, breathing faintly, trying to regain control over herself. "WE'RE SORRY, WE'RE SO SORRY!"

She let them cry themselves out, blabbering incoherently, knowing from lonely experience such energy needs to be expressed to be sufficiently dealt with. The detective prince had it down to an art, hence why equilibrium was restored, and so quickly she was analysing her own outburst. She hadn't broken like that since little Nanakos' brush with death, when she had convinced herself her own failings as a detective were what almost cost a precious little girl her life. Now she had been driven to a frenzy by her failings as a woman. _A trivial matter, _she pondered, her two friends bodies racking around her, _But one that needs dealing with. _This was the final nodding, she decided to do what she did best- solve the problem.

Easing herself free of Rise and Teddie, she began walking down the linoleum floor, the secrets of balancing in high heels nothing to her now, turning back around when she heard a call. "Wait," The idol gulped, dragging a still blubbering blonde along with her, "Where are you going?"

"To try on some of this wretched clothing." She said simply. She replaced her cap snugly on her crown. "Clearly this is something that causes me a great deal of personal turmoil. So I should turn it into a non-issue."

"B-but," Teddie sniffed, "It's our fault. We made you come here and we shouldn't have and you're perfect just as you are Nao-chan!"

The detective smiled sadly as the bear broke into fresh guilty sobs, shaking her head. "No, I am not. And frankly I'd rather deal with my apprehension regarding frankly insignificant pieces of fabric before it develops into some sort of complex." She chuckled to herself softly. "Besides, if I wish to pursue a relationship with a tailor I would prefer it if I could appreciate the main body his work."

That astute observation drew a small smile from Rise, who still looked a little perplexed. "So, wait a second here… We drag you here against your will, you get freaked out, and now you actually WANT to try on girl stuff?"

"A 'freak out' sounds so inappropriate… But yes, I suppose you are being accurate." Naoto grinned, the smile she saved for when she was fixated on something, for when something was going to get done. "A Shirogane has to be the very best, so it's about time I directed that logic at something other than detective work, wouldn't you agree?"

Rise looked at Teddie, before walking defeatedly over to her blue haired friend. "You are completely crazy," she said, before pulling her into a tight side hug, "But this is great!" She pointed at Teddie commandingly. "Okay Ted, dry those tears, it's your time to shine!"

"W-wha?" The bear looked up, still distraught at whatever pain he may or may not have helped inflict on his friend.

"That's right. I'm taking Naoto-kun to the changing rooms, and you're on gathering duty. Grab whatever you think'll work and drop 'em off, and I'll make sure she's putting everything on right. Remember- this is uncharted territory. We're either creating a queen or a monster, maybe both." She eyed the boy fiercely. "Private Teddie, do you accept this mission?"

The bear saluted, all negative feelings forgotten. "Yes Sir!"

Rise called as he marched away. "And don't forget, we have a schedule!" She looked back at Naoto nervously. "Hehe, I mean we've gotta make it on the train back, right? No refunds and whatever…" Normally the detective would have picked up on such blatant backpedalling, but she was feeling such a strange sense of giddy empowerment. "You sure you just haven't finally cracked?" Rise asked as she took her arm, leading her to another corner of the store. "You really don't have to do any of this you know. Seriously, I'm dropping all the blackmail crap, I promise."

"Rise, I'm finally taking a real ownership in my gender, my identity." She rubbed her hands in satisfaction. "Perhaps this'll prevent further posturing." _With Kanji-kun also…_

"I guess. Whatever makes you confident, right? That always helps." The idol smirked looking straight into the detective's eyes. "Y'know, you're really acting like a girl now?"

"How so?"

"A guy is driving you absolutely wacko."

They arrived at the changing rooms with little fanfare, Rise picking the room closest to the shop floor to easily receive Teddie's supply drops. Naoto stepped through the door with no fear, to be greeted by three doppelgangers in the mirrors provided, brightly illuminated by the florescent bar on the ceiling. She studied her reflection seriously. _This could be the last time I am dressed like this… _Taking in the details, she committed her old self to memory for future reference if the need ever arose; ready to be shed off for the new and unknown. Rise quietly slipped in behind her, doing something similar. "You still look great right now. You still are great right now. And I'm not saying with those heels, which, by the way, you're totally owning." The Idol sidled close to her friend and spoke gently. "I bet Kanji knows all that. You don't have to try any of this stuff if it makes you uncomfortable." The brunette shook her head in disbelief. "Look at me, telling someone about comfort zones. I sell soda in a bikini for god's sake."

The detective shook her head with her friend, but in disagreement. "That is irrelevant for the moment. This isn't about Kanji, or my feelings towards him, this is about making the best of myself." She raised a teasing eyebrow. "And on that subject, your marketing power is remarkable. The sales growth since those commercials aired were astronomical."

"So my agent tells me," Rise shrugged in a blasé manner. "Wait, why do you know that?"

"Preliminary recon before joining the team," Naoto answered simply, "Quite a drag really. You were the only one who yielded any interesting data."

Her friend shivered extravagant fashion. "Man, that's so creepy…" They both heard a buzzing. "Hold on a sec." Rise retrieved her mobile from her pocket and flipped open the screen. She promptly left the small room, leaving a perplexed Naoto, before coming back in with a bundle of something she couldn't quite make out. "Speaking of interesting data…"

Teddie had apparently scavenged a mountain of brassieres, in a variety of colours and fashions. A burst of apprehension registered with the detective. "Are those really necessary?"

Rise looked at the pile, then back at Naoto. "Well, if you want to try this whole girl clothes thing, the bust is kinda important to the shape of a lotta stuff they sell. But if you're not cool with it, that's fine, we can try other stuff."

Naoto wasn't about to be intimidated by a pile of undergarments. She held up a hand to dissuade Rise's concerns, when the word 'shape' was bolded in her mind. She was snapped back to the hospital, taking the team in for examination, an ill advised move in retrospect, especially considering Rise's triumphant parading of some of her more personal enumerations. _Interesting data… _A terrible thought seized her. "Did you tell Teddie about…?"

"Of course not," Her friend replied, rolling her eyes, "I'm not that bad. He's just grabbed a bunch on instinct." She smiled slyly and flashed a wink. "But trust me, everyone and their sister's gonna know what you're packing if you're serious about this."

An angle she had not considered in her recent radical declarations, but the idea perturbed her much less than she ever would have expected. _Let people talk, _she thought apathetically, _it seems they would no matter the circumstances. _The detective tilted her head, appraising the pile, eyes widening at some of the lacier items. "Some of these are entirely inappropriate."

"'Course it's inappropriate," cawed a giggling Rise, "its underwear!" Still laughing, she picked a simple plain white number from the pile. "Teddie'll be Teddie. Least this one's your size. A little conservative but…"

"That'll be acceptable." She didn't even want to think about entertaining the other options.

The idol handed off the piece to her detective friend with a strange look in her eye. She coughed. "Umm... Will you need any help with this or…?"

"I will be quite alright thank you," Naoto said quickly. The mechanics of a bra weren't particularly complex, and she had tried them on before, if only out of curiosity and to test whether her bindings were truly necessary to pass off as a boy. They were. "Now," the detective continued, pointing to the door, "I think some privacy is in order." Rise left obediently, Naoto swearing she could hear her friend shooing off a lingering Teddie. She exhaled, and without pausing, quickly removed her jacket and shirt with little incident. She was left the familiar yet still strange sight of her shirtless, white strips crisscrossing her torso, the bindings she once thought would help her get ahead in the world, which she now saw as holding her back. Her first move was to slap the hat off her head; being in any state of undress with headgear remaining was far too strange. The next was suppressing a scream at seeing Rise in the mirror, standing behind her, eyes fixed on her back. She crossed her arms over her chest and performed a furious pirouette. "What do you think you're-"

The idol's uncharacteristic silence gave her pause. Rise was apparently fascinated with her bindings; to the point her mouth was slightly agape. "You…" She whispered lowly. "You… do this to yourself? Every day?"

Naoto wasn't quite sure she understood the question. "Not… Every day. Sometimes I forget to take them off when I'm particularly exhausted…"

The idol frowned in disgust. "First off, eeeewww. More importantly, doesn't that hurt? It looks like it does…"

"Not at all," She lied. She was truthfully not sure if it could be classed as pain at this point- She was so used to its presence, the constant pressure on her lungs, the strain she felt when turning too quickly, the ever present reminder she wasn't who she said she was. "I make very sure to keep its impact on my health entirely-" Now she took her turn to scowl. "Why are you in here, you're breaching basic rules of privacy."

"I was worried about- Okay, no, if I'm honest I was just curious how you ever managed to hide those things." She waved off the detective's flare of indignation and pointed a serious finger. "And you're dodging the question. Does. It. Hurt?"

Naoto could she her friend was angry, with the same kind of enraged attitude she showed when someone was too reckless in the TV world and took a heavy hit. "Admittedly it causes… Some discomfort." Rise's emotions reached a visible fever pitch at that confession, which the detective only found odd. "Why is this troubling you so? How else do you think I hid my womanhood?

"I dunno I didn't think…" The idol simmered down a little, now looking disappointed, but Naoto wasn't entirely sure who it was directed at. "But… It's just the idea you spent, hell, years, putting yourself through all that. It's kinda horrible, dontcha think?"

_I see that now… _"…Your point being?"

"Well, for one thing, it proves you're not actually that smart." The jab cheered the idol up a little, but she grew sullen once again. "More than that? You've known the team for months now, and you're still hurting yourself? We should've realised, we should've said something…"

Rise's sense of guilt had the unintended response on eliciting the same in the person she was feeling guilty about. Naoto moved over and placed a hand on the brunettes' shoulder, leaving a careful arm over her still bandaged chest. "That's not your burden. You know how withdrawn and closed off I can be, you couldn't have guessed…"

The idol disagreed with a shake of her head. "We should've been able to help… We should've been better friends."

"But I didn't let you be," Naoto soothed. "I am still not very adept at this… Having a web of comrades, relationships I can place trust in. That is my problem, and I will get better, make no mistake." She removed her hand from her shoulder and gestured around the room. "The fact I'm even in this room means you've taken me somewhere new, and for that I'm eternally grateful."

Sniffing, Rise lifted her head and looked hopefully at her blue haired friend. "I guess… Just promise next time you ever think of pulling any stuff like that again, you at least talk to one of us about it, okay?"

Naoto smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Now, please leave, and if you think about entering again without my express consent, I remind you my gun is holstered in my right sock."

"Yes ma'am!" Rise, saluted, and left once again, leaving Naoto alone with her reflection. She wasted no time, pulling the knot on her bindings free, feeling the familiar relief on her lungs, and taking in the same deep breath she always did. She then promptly pulled her through the white straps, tightened the clasp around her back, and stood to stare at the results. Rise had definitely committed those measurements to memory; the bra fit like a glove. The Naoto in the mirror however didn't look exceptional however. An unusual sight, sure, she wasn't used to having so many dimensions, but she didn't look horrible, and there wasn't anything she herself found particularly alluring. She just looked… Average, typical. _So this doesn't come off as particularly unusual… _She ran a satisfied hand through her hair. _That's a relief._

She heard knocking at the door, in a pattern that managed to sound rather charming. _Rise… _The detective had the sudden impulse to pull her shirt on, but she remembered her observations. Average, typical. There was nothing to hide, no reason to hide. Pleased at the easy conclusion she had made, she moved to the door and opened it. Rise seemed surprised to have the door opened for her, and her eyes immediately headed downwards. "They look great, I mean, you look great!" They moved back into the changing room, the idol tutting playfully as she closed the door. "You're getting adventurous Naoto-kun; imagine if it was Teddie knocking!" The detective's features slackened and froze. The adrenaline rush of making such sudden sweeping changes to her lifestyle had rendered her careless. _I must keep my head… Imagine if I made such a mistake in Kanji-kuns' presence. _Blushing now, she looked back to Rise, who she could see now had walked into the changing room with more articles of clothing, black tights draped off her right arm, and a selection of dresses in the other, a cacophony of blues . "Ted really knows your colours."

The idol laid all of the dresses on the ground with the pace of an experienced journeyman, making sure the fabric was laid perfectly on the floor. Naoto's observation for them all is that they were unnervingly well sized. "Rise, Teddie gathered these for you, correct?" She hummed in affirmation. "How does he know these other measurements so well?"

"He has a decent eye, or, is a total pervert." The idol shrugged. "Eh, probably both." Her face turned sour. "I bet him and Yosuke-senpai compare notes. Eww."

Naoto had to admit, while disturbing, the bear's unique knowledge of his female friends was useful, at least in this one situation. Deciding to end her pondering over her friend on that positive note, she began to evaluate the options in front of her. There were five in all. The first was long and flowing, bunched up in places to make flowers. She suspected its design was based on a western prom dress. The second could only be described as horrifying; a short, entirely sequined hunk of what was essentially just plastic. _It's so short it would barely reach my thighs… _The next one was fine, made of a more aqua blue fabric, but it only covered one shoulder, and that lack of symmetry troubled her. The one afterwards however covered both, and had a deeper colour, dropping off into layers at its bottom that would still hang close to her legs. The last one was also a good candidate, with its hue the same as the sky, two small straps, and a longer, more flowing skirt. Naoto looked between them, mentally picturing how they would fall on her petite frame. "Hrrm…" She murmured.

Rise sighed dramatically. "I know, right, such a hard choice…" She stuck out her tongue playfully. "It's gotta be princess sequin over there, right?"

The detective chuckled in spite of herself. _Such base sarcasm such never be rewarded with a response… _"I don't think so. For one thing its cut does not leave anything to the imagination…"

"Trust my word as a showbiz star," Rise laughed, "It really isn't that bad. So, it's the two on the end that caught your eye?" Naoto nodded. Rise stepped across and held the two upright for her analysis. "See, this one makes a great showcase of your legs, but this one shows of your boobs way better…"

"Those two factors are, uh, irrelevant to me," Naoto coughed. _And I have breasts. Not 'boobs'. _"Which do you think will appear more elegant?"

Rise shrugged. "I dunno. This is a fitting room y'know, try them on!"

"Of course, how silly of me…" She took the darker dress from Rise's hand, and began inspecting it for some kind of entrance. She concluded she had to pull it over her head, and was in the process of doing so when a tug from Rise prevented her from going any further. She used her free hand to lift the skirt and scowl at her friend. "What are you doing?"

"Take off your pants." The flash of alarm in the detective's eyes told her an explanation was needed. "You can't wear a dress with those on underneath. Well, you can, but it goes against the whole exercise in femininity you have going on here, right?"

Naoto considered this for a few moments. "I suppose…" She stared blankly at the idol remaining planted in front of her. "So I need privacy."

Her response was a raised eyebrow. "You're standing topless right now. Pantsless wouldn't be much different."

"Yes it would," Naoto disagreed.

"Fine, fine," she conceded, moving to the door, collecting the rejected dresses along the way. "Yell when you're done. I wanna see how good you look!"

Naoto was once again left alone in the brightly lit room, and took off the heels so as to remove her trousers. She undid the belt and they slipped off with little incident, and she grabbed the darker dress once again. Pulling it over her torso, and letting the dresses shoulders meet her own, her head finally popped out of the top, and she could now see something new- How an adolescent Naoto Shirogane appeared in a dress. Like the brassiere, she found the outcome unremarkable, but still did appreciate the blue contrasting to her skin, much like her usual jackets, and of course her hat. The skirt ending just above her knees, and while it didn't feel quite right, she didn't think it was awful. The detective idly examined herself for a short while longer, before remembering there was someone outside with an interest in the result. "I'm finished," She called. Rise bounded in eagerly, but froze in her tracks, appearing to stare at the floor. Naoto was understandly perplexed. "Rise-chan?"

"What… Are… Those?"

The detective could see her friend was pointing to a point slightly higher than the floor- her legs. Looking down, Naoto was reminded they could feasibly cause some alarm, she didn't shave them after all. She had no cause to, and so fine hairs (not blue, surprisingly) ran up and down the skin. They weren't particularly intrusive or uncomfortable so she didn't give it much thought, but she knew that by modern beauty standards it would be considered archaic, especially by someone as up-to-date as Rise Kujikawa. "These are my legs," She answered honestly.

Their mere existence seemed to flabbergast the idol. "I- But…." She picked up the black tights from before. "At least put these on. And we're definitely gonna talk about this later."

Naoto snatched the tights, saving her eye roll when she turned away from her idol friend. _I so look forward to that discussion… _But she knew that was a battle for another day, and quickly put on the hosiery. She turned back to Rise and spoke in a pouty tone. "Is this to your specifications?"

Her relieved sigh was depressingly genuine. "You have no idea…" A sudden thought struck her. "Y'know, this kind of sums up how weird this day's been. You were gagging when Teddie even mentioned tights earlier, but here you are now, wearing them and a hell of a lot more besides."

"Yes…" Naoto acknowledged. "An unexpected road can lead to strange outcomes, of my own devising no less." Taking a look in the mirror, at how natural she looked, how normal, she could only smile. "I have to say Rise-chan, I am thankful the intervention of Teddie and yourself today. I feel as if I have managed to resolve a lot of problems that really shouldn't have been as such. You have my gratitude."

"Aw, Naoto-kun, we'd meddle again if we had to, and don't you forget it!" Naoto chose to take a lighter meaning from that. _Yosuke would be proud, _she thought wryly. A buzzing was heard, and Rise took out her phone, and balked at the screen. "Crap," she said worriedly. "We, uh, need to go."

Naoto was confused by her friends' sudden anxiety. "I haven't even been able to compare this to the other dress yet, is there a problem?"

"Yes, kinda…" Her friend said evasively. Naoto detected a shift in her demeanour, as if becoming more in control, but she couldn't be entirely certain if that was even the case. "Look, I've got to meet with my agent, some contract stuff from years ago might be coming back to bite me in the ass…"

_Contractual obligations can be tricky to navigate… _"I could provide some assistance. I've analysed a wide variety of legal documents in my time, so I'm well versed in the subject."

Naoto could swear she could see a hint of smugness in her friend's gushing smile, but once again, she couldn't confirm such a theory. "Really, Naoto-kun? You are such a good friend!"

"It's no trouble really," she assured. "Let me change back into my clothes-"

"You can't." The idol said rather suddenly. "No time. Plus, that dress rocks, and you rock in it. Think of this as a time to strut your woman stuff!"

The whole situation seemed to be going in a stranger and stranger direction, but with the abnormality of the day as a whole she couldn't be sure if her judgement was sound on such matters. "I-I'm not sure if I'm ready…"

"'Course you are, c'mon, we're running out of time!" As if to illustrate the point, she grabbed the detective's pile of clothes, sans hat, and strode out of the room, leaving Naoto with little choice but to grab her cap and follow her, while being mildly distressed at the thought of leaving the other dress so callously strewn on the floor, along with the white strips that were her bindings.

Teddie was there to greet them on the shop floor, and his mouth was agape. "Nao-chan… You look amazing! Bear-utiful in fact!" Naoto's cheeks turned red, making her feelslightly disturbed that Teddie of all people managed to elicit such a response.

Rise hopped aggressively in-between them. "Save the small talk folks, we've got major business to attend to!"

The idol dumped Naoto's clothes into Teddies hands and was heading to the door, when the detective looked down to her dress and realised a major problem. "Rise-chan, wait!" The idol stopped and turned, tapping her foot wildly. "These clothes aren't mine…" She said weakly.

Rise huffed, as if walking out with the stolen goods on her would have been the cool thing to do. The brunette headed to the till, pointing Naoto out to the cashier, and placed what looked like a rather large stack of notes on the desk. She headed back to her friends and angled to the door. "Are we leaving?"

Naoto looked back over to the cashier, who was hungrily counting through the notes. "…How much was this dress exactly?"

Rise took her arm and pushed her to the door. "I'm a pop star, I'm rich. Don't worry about it, seriously." Teddie bounced along behind them, still holding Naoto's briefcase, and now her clothes tpp, as they headed off into the street.

The idol was leading them confidently through the maze of the city streets. This created a sense of urgency, which only heightened Naoto's growing sense of unease. It didn't help that she was stumbling along in heels and a skirt. The lack of secure, tough material around her legs troubled her. What if she fell? Everything would get ripped and ruined. For some reason, they stopped in by a fence, serving as a wall between the city and a little brown square of dirt. "Why have we stopped?" Naoto asked, the voicing of her concerns in no way alleviating them. "Are we meeting your manager here?"

"Yeah, sure," was Rise's empty reply. The idol seemed to be sizing her up, and in her new outfit, now out in public, it began to perturb her greatly. "We forgot one crucial thing…" She moved very close to the detective, and pierced her eyes with a gaze of enormous gravity. "Naoto-kun, we're your friends, so you're gonna have to trust us."

_This is beginning to feel surreal. _"I might be able to, but I have to ask why." She was never a fan going into something blind.

Teddie took his place beside the brunette. "Part of the trust is not knowing why."

Looking between them, she had to say their expressions were positively cultish. Feeling the bond she had to them however, she couldn't help but acquiesce to their request. "Alright. I'm not sure if I like it, but I trust you."

Rise nodded with satisfaction. "Okay, good. You need to close your eyes for a full minute, don't open them for anything, okay? Oh, and good luck!"

The detective could only offer a dumb reply. "For what?"

The pair ignored her, and counted down in unison. "Three, two, one, and… Closed." She followed the order, one hundred percent sure she would regret it. She felt her face being probed, with what she thought have might been a brush, then a pen, then a sponge. She kept her breathing sure, and counted to sixty seconds steadily. The assault on her face soon ended, and she spent the remaining eighteen seconds theorizing what the attack was all about. She made the correct detection with five seconds left, and gripped the hat in her hand tight. Then time was up, with Rise and Teddie predictably nowhere to be seen. The detective madly made her way to a nearby car to corroborate her conclusion with fact, and she found she was correct in her reflection on the glass windscreen. Her eyelids were darkened, lashes intensified, skin inexplicably smooth, and her lips the most astonishing shade of cherry.

_Make-up. Rise and Teddie must have seen at as a last step in my transformation._ But why apply it here, why not back at the store? She was intelligent enough to know Rise's manager fracas was all a ruse, but to what end? Why did they leave her stranded in some seemingly random square in Okina? The answer, in his impeccable black shirt, was just walking around the corner…

* * *

_**AN-** _Wow, this chapter was a long one, and came out waaaay different than what I was expecting. At first, it was going to go with Naoto being more pressured by Teddie and Rise's blackmail, and then actually becoming more accepting of changing her style. But it felt kind of weird, I couldn't see her actually going along with their game for her and then actually liking it. Then I wrote her speech, and realised that she would finally be tired with the frustration with herself and move to trying to solve her issues with femininity once and for all. I wondered if I was making her run into the problem far too bullishly, but figured something had to happen so she could become the more comfortable person she is in the epilogue of the golden, so I thought this was okay. I mean, in a lot of ways this chapter has absolutely nothing of the fluffy love story in the rest of this fic, but trust me, the next chapter more than makes up for that!

Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing, especially the guest reviewer I can't actually respond to. Your encouragement means the world to me! Not long to the end now...


	10. Naoto and Kanji- Confessing

The train ride was horrible; a feeling of impending doom never makes a trip any easier after all. So instead of dwelling on the certain failure standing tall on the horizon, Kanji examined the handiwork, his handiwork, hanging off his torso. Rise seemed pretty serious that he had to wear a shirt for the farce he was about to put himself through, but it was an order given only as she was walking away, so he had his doubts as to whether it was really necessary. Still, he needed some sort of project to keep himself sane as the date on the train ticket drew ever nearer.

He chose a smooth, black fabric, mainly because there was more than enough at the shop since they had a steady business in fixing up the jackets and pants of other Yasogami high students. It made the shirt a bit thicker than you would usually find, which at least made it seem sturdy. He thought about putting his signature skull on the back, but decided against it when remembering this was being made for a meet with Naoto. **A completely insane one…**

Being trapped in a city by the whims of a pair of psychotic pricks was definitely not one of the situations he thought he would finally confess in, but it looked like that would be the only way he'd get out of this mess. Maybe it'd be simple- they talk, he spills, she turns him down nicely and he politely jumps off the nearest- **Nope. Focus on the shirt. **

It was pretty good work if he did say so himself. Sometimes he couldn't decide whether making his own clothes was easier or harder than when he made it for other people. Sure, he knew his own measurements down to the millimetre, but he found it significantly harder to turn the hunk of cloth into something worthwhile if the end result was him wearing it. It was weird; he'd be making something specific, and in the middle he'd think of another thing it could be for somebody else to pull off, and then he'd suddenly be making something completely new, which would inevitably end up in the shop window. His mother called him selfless, that he was so desperate to make things for others he forwent using his talents on himself. He just called himself a moron.

**And I am I damn moron. **Bumping into Naoto earlier had been unexpected, and he hadn't been particularly suave. **What the hell was I thinking?** 'You… Got any plans tonight?' He must've looked like a prize idiot, and there was no telling if Naoto had taken it in a weird way or not. **Girl can be clueless sometimes… **But clueless wasn't dumb, so how in the world was Rise gonna get her into Okina in the first place for this whole stupid thing? Teddie being about as subtle as a neon brick, she would have to caught on that something was up. Maybe she'd finally work it out, and Kanji wouldn't even have to say anything- just nod respectfully during the rejection and hurl himself in front of the nearest- **Think about the shirt ya stupid jerk.**

He wasn't sure he liked shirts. I mean, they were pretty simple, but they always ended up hanging and creasing somewhere, no matter how well they were made, unlike his jumpers, which were perfectly form fitting, or his tank tops, which only looked better when scruffy. Still, he decided he was okay with this particular one. The stitching was good, done with a nicely contrasting white thread, and it lacked the entirely ridiculous collars found on the school uniform, so he didn't feel like he was walking around with some weird shield around his jaw. Still, something felt 'off', and he couldn't quite put his finger on it…

On that thought the train stopped, a signal for Kanji's heart to start beating a little faster, it truly began to race once he stepped out of the station. What was going to happen? Was Naoto even in the city? Where did he even have to go? A buzz rattled through his jeans (Also black, but darker than the shirt at least), telling him his phone held the answer to at least one of those questions. The text from Rise was almost indecipherable. 'She's al redy 4 u Kanji-kn! ^-^ Jus follow thes instructions…'

Unfortunately, the idol had put her directions in the form of emoticon arrows, which, while kind of impressive in a spatial awareness sort of view, left Kanji mostly flummoxed. He decided he'd follow each arrow for a block, and then look at the next. But before all that, he had to reply with a customary '**Fuk u.**'

He immediately regretted it, picturing the fit of giggles he had no doubt sent Rise and the bear surely reading over her shoulder into. Their response arrived as he was walking past the fourth block. 'Dn't b so meen :3 Oh, &amp; Gd Luk!'

Foul language was uttered freely for the rest of his journey, as he turned and zigzagged around the unfamiliar crevices of the city. He only stopped when the arrows in the text had run out, and signaled his arrival at Rise's destination. Looking up from the screen, he couldn't work out why he was here. There was a fence, some dirt, parked cars, and other people walking around, but no Teddie, no Rise, and most importantly, no Naoto. **Maybe they were settin' me up… **He could imagine it now, his two friends taking endless amusement from how gullible old Kanji-kun was, but even he was smart enough to know that would be far too mean spirited a gag for them to ever pull off. Still, between that and a forced confrontation with the girl he'd had a confusing crush on for a number of days higher than he could count, he found himself hoping that this was in fact an elaborate ruse.

He quickly glanced around to see if he could spot the pair spying, and after realising he wasn't cut out for that kind of surveillance, decided to take a little walk around. There was some woman in a blue dress that must've been locked out of her own car, because she was staring through its window intently, but Kanji took little notice of her. He looked through the fence into that empty square of dirt, wondering what something so out of place was doing here. **Might've been kind of park people stopped caring about,** he guessed,** or some land that never got developed, or-**

"Kanji-kun?" His name was uttered so softly he wasn't startled, until he turned to the source of the sound, and realised she had the blue hair to match that blue dress.

His brain was not advanced enough to produce an eloquent response. "Holy shit, Naoto?!" He mentally slapped himself for starting his greeting with a swear, but in this one case, it might've been justified.

The detective had only spotted the tailor walking past in the reflection of the car window, where she was still trying to evaluate how different the makeup really made her look, idly wondering if she could enlist Rise and Teddie's help if she ever needed to go undercover. _And so this was their endgame, _she deduced warily_. _Clearly, they'd engineered Kanji's presence here, and with them holding her return ticket hostage, she would have to find them to make her way home, and with their earlier threats, she was cautious to meet up with the Machiavellian pair while in Kanji's vicinity. That did bring up the question however, how did they make him come here? "What brings you to this square, Kanji-kun?" The blonde was quiet for what seemed like a long time, one moment trying to form a sentence, the next taking it all back. _Ah. _It was an oversight that she had forgotten this new appearance might surprise her tall friend.

It took a few tries, but he finally managed to squeeze out his uncertain answer. "…The same reason I guess you're all dressed like that I guess."

_My theory was correct._ "So," she began, "it's safe to assume Teddie and Rise-chan are behind your presence here, as they are mine?" Kanji nodded gruffly, the boy not quite managing to make eye contact but doing a fine job of trying to analyse Naoto's newfound, to put it politely, depth. Looking down on her new attire, she smoothed the creases on the skirt, ready to explain her sudden change of appearance. "They met with me here, in the city," she continued evasively, not particularly wanting to disclose how easily she had fallen for their friends' trap. "And reminded me of something. While I did come accept my gender, I never particularly embraced what that meant. Thus, I wanted to explore the, ah, options, femininity could offer me. This is the result." She felt nervous under his gaze, like he was examining every part of her, privately judging where her new strides in femininity were falling short. _It's only a initial attempt… _

Of course, he was doing nothing of the sort. Taking it all in, in a totally not creepy way of course, he only had one comment. "Ya look good." It flew out of his mouth like a misfired cannonball, and the recipient of the compliment turned her face straight to the floor to hide her blush. He struggled to take it back, try and make things more comfortable again. "I mean, you could look better, but…" **The hell kind of save is that?!**

Her head jerked up, franticly thinking back to how she looked in the mirror, trying to piece where she went wrong. She hugged her shoulders in an adorably defensive motion. "I-I apologise… I am not particularly adept at this..."

**GAH! **"That's not what I meant!" He spat out. "I just, ugh, you work around dresses all the dang time and all you can see is flaws…" He thwacked his forehead with a palm and wished he could die. "Shit, I dunno…"

_Well, I can understand perfectionism… _"It's okay, Kanji-kun, I can't expect to take to something so easily." Her voice must have had more than a stray hint of hurt, because she noticed more guilt flash across her friend's features.

"Fuck. I didn't-" He jammed his mouth shut with his free hand, took a deep breath through his nostrils, and tried again. "You look great. Don't let me say anythin' otherwise. I'm just gonna shut up now…"

Naoto didn't find her crushes' scrambling immediately odd; heavens knew that she herself had many regrettable social hiccups since integrating herself with the rest of the team. "That is appreciated, Kanji-kun, thank you." He looked a little better at the acknowledgment, but his posture was still a little hunkered down. Pre-empting an uneasy silence, she made a feeble attempt at small talk. "Is… That a new shirt? I haven't seen you wear such clothing before."

Kanji chuckled weakly. "Guess that makes two of us." He said, in a dry tone that was rare for him. Her response was a gentle laugh, which had the added bonus of making him much more at ease. "I, uh, made it."

Pointing out something was his work always made people lean in close for some reason, to see where he went wrong, he often thought cynically. The fact it was Naoto moving close to something he was actually wearing made him half regretful and half joyful he'd bothered saying anything. The detective was following the white seams crossing over the black fabric, marvelling in their uniform precision. She took a step back and nodded in approval. "It's a wonderful piece; you are truly a master of your craft."

"O-Oh? It's nuthin' really…" he stuttered bashfully. Praise never sat well with him, he never knew how to react.

"Don't be absurd," Naoto said firmly, "You create a multitude of examples to the same standard as this one, and with relative ease. You should be able to recognise your own skill at least."

He squinted at her, surprised at how normal Naoto-in-a-dress had started to become. "I guess… All I see is the little things though."

Naoto shrugged. "It is difficult, I agree. After a case I always see where I should have put together the pieces of the puzzle earlier, found the culprit quicker, but I can still recognise myself as a competent detective at the very least."

Kanji thought for a few moments. Naoto seeing parallels in her impossibly cool detective work and his own silly sewing made no sense to him, but he rolled with it. "But you still don't see yourself as a 'master of your craft' or whatever, right?"

She raised an eyebrow, surprised that her usually slow-ish companion picked up on that disparity in her language. "… You have me there, Kanji-kun." She bit her lip, thinking how her incessant hair-splitting should apply to that new, uncharted side of her life. "But from my point of view, your talent is obvious to see… And I would appreciate your assistance."

He wasn't sure what she meant, but it was Naoto, of course he wanted to help. "Whaddya need?"

"I know I am not very accomplished in the art of wearing feminine fashions," she admitted plainly, "And I am acutely aware the only consultation I've had on the matter has come from two people I can't deem entirely trustworthy. You are a tailor, and you've already voiced some displeasure," she held up a hand so he didn't protest, "So tell me honestly, where do I need to improve?"

Kanji had hoped she'd already forgotten his earlier slip. "Dammit, I was an idiot, I didn't mean anything, okay?" Even he could see she was thoroughly unconvinced, so he guessed this was a hole he had stuck himself in. "I dunno, like I said about the crap I make, it's the little things…"

She could only make improvements based on raw data, so she pressed him further. "Things like…?"

**Shit. **He looked her all over again, this time allowing himself brief glances of her chest, looking everywhere and anywhere for something to say. "Man, I don't-" he started with exasperation, "It's hard to put into words… Look, give me five minutes with that dress, and I can get it looking so much better. For real."

She considered his offer, and couldn't find any flaws. "Alright, that seems agreeable. We can go back to your family's shop so you can make the necessary adjustments."

It had been a half hearted proposal, and he was shocked she went for it, which turned to into a certain abject horror as he realised her suggestion wasn't possible. "Crap…" He rubbed his eyes, frustrated at how complicated Rise and Teddie had managed to make everything. "Uh, this is gonna sound weird, but we can't go back to Inaba…"

She only now recalled her own side of the blackmail scheme, and chided herself for making such a short sighted proposal. "Yes, the schemes of those two are certainly cumbersome…" They looked at each other, something clicking in the backs of their minds. In their respective heads it made sense they would be the ones coerced into this nonsense by Teddie and Rise, and thus unable to leave Okina at their own discretion. Their own irrepressible affection for the surely uninterested other party was the perfect leverage, being used effectively by that meddlesome pair. They then therefore couldn't fathom how their opposite had been dragged to this place against their will. "Kanji-kun…" Naoto lead with trepidation. "You never gave me a real answer before. Why are you at this square?"

**Because liking you has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever done. **Looking at her, all cute as usual, the radical redesign being kind of irrelevant, he rethought his position. **Or being friends with Rise and Ted. **His brain, being kicked into action by a scary mental projection of Chie, was telling him to do it, tell her, do it! But he bitched out. "Look." He exhaled, hoping desperately for one last time that she could just work it out on her own. "Let's not pretend for once that we're not too dumb to get what's going on. It's so freakin' obvious." Naoto squirmed, a dangerous move in heels, certain her own feelings were rumbled, bringing upon emotions of extraordinary fear, and somehow, relief. Kanji himself had a certain terrified feeling, but despite that, the words came to him with little difficulty. "So, we're gonna get this dress all fixed up, because that's one thing I know I can do, and we can work out all that other stuff later. Deal?"

Naoto's heart had been ever so close to stopping. So he knew. He knew all about her feelings for him, but wasn't prepared to formulate a response just yet. _He's figured me out. Very clever Kanji-kun… _Considering she was on tenterhooks for his answer, she couldn't exactly refuse his new offer to fix up his clothes. Plus, if his answer was in the negative, at least she would have a potentially improved dress in which to drown her sorrows, which by a utilitarian viewpoint, was an inarguably better outcome. _Now I sound very feminine,_ she thought wryly. She offered her friend a curt nod. "Very well. I agree to your terms."

Her formality distracted him a little, but they soon started walking together, side by side, him taking the first step. He had stopped short to actually confessing, but he had been more honest than ever before, and that unfamiliar look in her eyes told him something had gotten through. **Fuck. She actually knows I like her… Shit.** Now, instead of having to pull the trigger on the metaphorical gun at his head, she was wielding an axe at the chopping block, and he could just sit there and wait for the impending swing. This morbid thought somehow made his chest lighter, and he walked with his head held high.

"Kanji-kun," Naoto asked curiously, "Where are we going?"

The tailor was worried she was going to start asking tough questions. Fortunately, this one was easy. "Uh, sewin' shop, the one where we get all our materials for the shop. They got a back room we can use..."

It made sense, but Naoto wished they could use a place a little more private. "It's a shame we can't use your shop at present, I'd feel much more at ease."

"You don't have to do anythin' if you don't wanna," he reminded her, "We can stop now and head right ba- Shit. We can't even head home, can we?" He rapped his right temple with his knuckles. "Teddie n' Rise sure are a headache…"

Naoto sighed. "Indeed." She thought back to her time with them, and realised something. "Wait a moment… They were with me until right before you appeared. How did they ensure you didn't have your wallet on you?"

He looked at her like she was a crazy person. "Why they hell would've they wanted to take my wallet?"

She looked back with tired eyes, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Because if you weren't being supervised, and if you had your wallet with you, you could have purchased your own way out of the city regardless of them holding your return ticket, as they have done for me."

He was about to argue, but couldn't when faced with the facts; he had just been a little stupid. **Nice one Tatsumi.** "Why don't you have yours?" He threw back childishly.

"It was confiscated," Naoto replied matter of factly, "Which reminds me, I need to get that back, along with my regular clothes…"

"Yeah, we need to find them later." He cracked his knuckles. "And maybe straighten out a few things…" The tailors bravado fizzled out, as he let out a long sigh. "They really love makin' things friggin' difficult…"

"Undoubtedly." Naoto concurred, before steering the conversation way from the master plan of the conductors of the day. "But we can dissect their motives and reasoning later, as we agreed." She chided herself silently. _By which I mean dissect my motives later…_

The tall boy walking beside her allowed himself a small smile. "Guess we did." He looked back to Naoto, this time taking particular notice of the differences in her face, the foundation covering what little crevices she had, and the lipstick and mascara making those parts of her face really pop. "Y'know, I can't believe you let them put makeup on you, and before you say anything," he added, holding up his finger, "that ain't because it looks bad."

Her primary concern with the start of his statement already addressed, she made a rather noncommittal noise. "I didn't really have a choice. They ambushed me." Kanji snorted at the metal image of Teddie and Rise leaping out of a bush in full combat gear, armed only with eyeliner and lip gloss. "It's part of the female identity after all, and I should be exploring all of its aspects."

"I guess." He wasn't certain what exactly she was trying to prove with the trying to be as girly as possible thing, but she seemed pretty enthusiastic, so he kept quiet.

"I'm not quite sure I'm fond of it," Naoto continued, catching glimpses of herself in the various panes of glass and reflective surfaces you could find in the city. "It feels far too much like a mask, and since last year, I think I've had quite enough of dishonesty... Wouldn't you agree?" She asked him pointedly.

The tailor laughed nervously, running a hand through his incredibly bleached blonde hair. "Uh, yeah, sure…" **Maybe she does have a point, **he thought to himself. Shaking off thoughts of going back to his totally uncool original shade, he started to ask questions about the dress he would be imminently working on. "Where'd you get that dress anyway? Looks high street to me."

She found herself impressed by his powers of deduction, even though it would only apply to these certain situations. "You're quite right. I'm afraid I didn't quite catch the name of the store however."

"Really?" He asked, with genuine surprise. "You usually pick up on like, really small stuff, how'd you miss that?"

She floundered half-heartedly, rather disappointed with herself. "I was… distracted, you might say. In hindsight, the whole exercise feels like a blur."

Kanji thought for a few moments, trying to weigh up how it was possible a girl who kept her head while being kidnapped, could be so fazed by a simple clothes store. His conclusion was incredibly blasé. **Eh, it's Naoto. Her shadow was fuckin' crazy, she's definitely allowed to be weird.** "I guess…" He gave her new attire a sideways glance. "Surprised you went with a cocktail dress though, never would've thought you'd go for that kinda thing."

_Neither would I… _She spoke honestly. "Teddie and Rise provided me with some options. This was one of two acceptable choices, which I was trying on when they whisked me away, to meet with you I assume." They both kept quiet at that inference. **_Which we'll talk about later… _**they reminded themselves. She directed her attention back to the still foreign aspects of her new outfit. The absence of trousers still felt strange of her, and while she had adapted startlingly well to walking in heels, besides a few subtle slips she had so far hidden magnificently, she couldn't help but feel like the whole combination just felt flimsier, weaker somehow. _Although, perhaps that's just my old prejudices shining through however…_ A thought occurred to her. "So, Kanji-kun, what would you have expected me to 'go for'?"

"Oh! Uh…" It had been an offhand comment, with no real thought into it, though he'd be lying if he said he'd never tried to picture a more typically girly Naoto. It wasn't much different to the usual really, he kept thinking of tidy cardigans and refined blouses with horrible looking tartan and tweed patterns. No hat though, and he figured she wouldn't be the type to fix up her hair in any real capacity. **And,** he thought, glancing subtly downwards,** those things definitely ain't as big as Rise made out…** "N-Not sure really…" He coughed, throwing those thoughts out of his head. "Never figured I'd ever see you in a skirt n' stuff though."

Naoto was hardly shocked he shared her prior notions; she'd failed to keep her stance on such matters subtle. "I must admit, a few days ago I would have said the same thing. Change is certainly unpredictable…"

"That's good though, right? If you switch it up at least you ain't doin' nothin'." She motioned to the affirmative, generously letting his double negative slide. "Bet it feels a little freaky though."

"It does feel a little alien…" She admitted. Afterwards she frowned, making a strange little connection. "Of course. You would know this due to your participation in the Yasogami pageant."

The tailor hunched his shoulders, wincing. "Christ, don't remind me of that shit show…"

"Furthermore," Naoto continued, ignoring her friend's distaste for the topic, powerless against her own train of thought, "You were much more prepared to wear such clothing than I ever was at that point."

"Are you tryin' to say summit?!" He had run to his own defence far too eagerly in his old aggressive snarl, and Naoto was beginning to give his a strange look. He lowered his voice. "Wasn't like I had a choice or nuthin'."

"Nonsense." She dismissed, forgetting the courtesy the team had agreed of forgetting that day and moving on. "I avoided one portion of my side of that event; certainly you could have done the same."

He stared at the pavement in front of him, mouth slightly agape. **Where the hell did this come from? **"No way. The other guy's would've ripped me a new one."

The detective remained unmoved by his reasoning. "Unlikely. With your prior reputation and our own experiences of you in combat during our time in the TV world, they would know it's an exercise in failure, without their personas to aid them at least." He felt kind of flattered she thought he could take them all on, but he still wanted her to stop talking. A small voice her own head was saying the same thing, but it was a low rumble under her investigative mind making unnecessary breakthrough after breakthrough. "If I may ask Kanji-kun, how were you so prepared to wear-"

"Ohlookwe'rehere." Kanji spat abruptly, stopping the detective's over analysis of that cursed pageant in its tracks, for now at least.

The textile emporium looked remarkably rustic to say it was located in what was the area's relative metropolis. _Such homespun aesthetic probably serves them well in attracting a clientele such as the Tatsumis, _Naoto mused, glad to have her thoughts directed to safer waters. The tall boy strode to the door, the detective feeling a rising indignation as she assumed it was about to be held open for her benefit, only to be left scrambling as he entered the store proper, barely making it through the doorway in time.

Kanji was perplexed as to why Naoto was barely managing to stay on her feet over his shoulder behind him, but that was quickly glossed over as unique smell of the shop reminded him he had to pull out what little manners he had. He walked to the counter and bowed slowly to the familiar, slightly dumpy woman standing at the till. "Hey Shotana-san."

The woman's face brightened up at seeing one of her usual customers, the skin by her eyes crinkling cheerfully. "Kanji-chan! Are you here for the shop or personal business? How is your mother?" She cast an eye to his companion and grinned wickedly. "Oooh, who's you're friend?"

He rolled his eyes. _Apparently he has about as much respect for this woman as he does his mother, _Naoto noted dryly. She moved to the counter and introduced herself. "Naoto Shirogane, ma'am"

Kanji rolled his eyes again, (**This lady ain't ever a 'Ma'am'**), and tried to get down to business before the old-ish bat could suck them into more idle chitchat, which despite appearances, he would frequently enjoy, as long they kept on the topic of stitching and not let it devolve into her usual nattering over local gossip. "Is your back room free? She just got this dress and it could do with some work." He held an arm to her as if to illustrate his point. "We won't be long I swear."

The woman squinted, moving around the till to take a place at Kanji's side. She tilted her head. "Oh," She hummed, nodding, "I see…"

Naoto shrivelled up slightly in the gaze of the professionals, while Kanji turned his head as if to reassure their elder. "Don't worry 'bout her, it's her first time tryin' one on." The detective crossed her arms crossly, feeling ever so slightly patronised. "Whatever," He shrugged, brushing his friend's glare aside, "can we get set up?"

"Of course!" She encouraged, beginning to giggle. "Don't get up to anything indecent back there you two!" She added cheekily. The pair of teenagers blushed, avoiding each other's gaze. Kanji roughly grabbed the detective's wrist, pulling her to a dark corner of the store and through a discreet door. "Remember, I know your mother!" The lady cackled loudly.

The room was a little dark, with a flimsy dressing partition separating a quarter of the room from the rest, which was dominated by a rather large table, covered with equipment Naoto wasn't sure she recognised and a maelstrom of scrap fabric. Kanji took his seat right in the middle, muttering something about a "Damn stupid ol' crone…" **She better not say anythin' to Ma… **He pushed debris aside brazenly with an arm, giving him a bare square which to work. He was grabbing some needles and stray thread when he noticed his blue haired friend was just standing there, oddly unsure of herself. "Uh, I'm gonna need that dress."

Naoto was abashed by his brazenness, something entirely lost on Kanji. He was in a working frame of mind; this was a simple adjustment job, with no embarrassment in the equation. She however, wasn't. "I most certainly will not."

A hesitant silence fell. "…Will not what?"

She was panicking, not making sense. Undressing in the presence of Rise, who shared her sex, was one thing, but in the same room as a boy, and this particular boy of them all, was quite another. _I was in some delirious state previously as well, _she reminded herself. _Apprehension is perfectly natural…_

The boy was having none of it however, and wore an impatient expression. "Look, just go behind that partition and throw the dress over, it ain't hard." His annoyed tone got her to move, but she caught his glance on the way. "And, uh, remember, don't come out." He coughed. "I'll just throw it back over, yeah?"

She nodded. Behind the wooden divider was a world mostly bare, a simple stool being the only real amenity. Taking the opportunity to give her feet a rest, she removed her cumbersome footwear and took a seat, shooting right up when she realised she still had to remove the dress. _Don't get sloppy Shirogane... _Pulling the blue fabric over her head in a jerking motion, she haphazardly threw the dress over the partition, and then sat on the stool, trying not to think about the person on the other side, and hoping even harder that he wouldn't try anything perverted. She scoffed at herself quietly. _Damn Teddie for ruining my sense of security..._

She needn't have worried. In the tailors eyes right now she was a client, which made for a much simpler relationship. He grabbed the dress and walked back to the table, ready to get to work with the assortment materials available. After a lull of uneasy quiet, besides the ruffling of materials in his preliminary examination, Kanji attempted some conversation with the girl on the other side of the partition. "It's 'cus I done it before I guess."

His voice startled her. "I'm sorry?"

"You asked before we walked in why I could put on that stupid movie dress at the pageant." Naoto didn't expect him to bring back the topic. It seemed very clear he didn't consider it a high point. "Me and Yukiko-senpai would play house and stuff when we were younger," he continued, "Naoki too sometimes, do you know him?"

"Fleetingly." She hadn't made much effort to integrating herself with her other classmates, the antics of the team being more than enough to fit her personal boundary of a social circle. Still, there were some clumsy encounters when she first moved to Inaba, desperately turning over every stone to find a lead. Questioning the brother of the second victim was an obvious move, but he was completely unresponsive, having no patience for yet another cop who wasn't going to get anywhere with anything he told them. "I don't think he has a high opinion of me."

"Naoki? Nah, dude's pretty chill, just gotta break through his shell is all." At this point he had truly begun his work, beginning to morph the dress into something hopefully improved. "He was only cool with me after I kept bugging him to try the damn cookies I baked."

_His... cookies?_ The detective thought she had found some sort of discrepancy. "Surely Yukiko would be playing the mother in your game?"

"Uh… She still couldn't cook back then, even with those crappy play ovens that were only a light bulb. It was safer if I did that stuff." He exhaled slowly, not quite believing what he was gonna say next. "A-and I wanted to. Husband doesn't get to do nuthin'."

"That's logical. Gender roles can be incredibly restrictive." Kanji was relieved she didn't just laugh at him, and resumed his work in earnest. The detective hummed, thinking back again to her own youth, anything to keep her mind from how positively bare her shoulders felt. "I lacked the social environment to ever partake in that sort of activity. I usually pretended I was some sort of great hero, usually a detective, or on occasion something far more fantastic."

"Like what?" His voice was muffled slightly, holding some needles in his mouth.

"American cowboy, space ranger, paranormal investigator…" She would have found recounting such misadventures embarrassing if she wasn't already in a compromising position. "My grandfather and his assistant always made sure to play the villain, create some riddle or puzzle I'd have to solve for victory. It was rather educational overall."

Kanji thought over that last sentence. "Sounds pretty harsh."

Naoto furrowed her brow, something quite pointless when you can't actually see the person holding the other half of the conversation. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" He put his full attention back to the dress for a few moments, before resuming the conversation. "Sorry. I mean, wasn't there ever a moment they weren't coaching you on being the next great Shirogane detective or whatever?

"Of course," the girl replied, "But that provided an excellent basis for my future. I consider it excellent parenting."

"Ya sure?" Kanji asked sceptically, "I dunno, sounds like they were working ya too hard."

Naoto, who was quite protective of her parental figures, spurned his notions. "It wasn't 'work', I thoroughly enjoyed myself." She raised an eyebrow, another impotent action when unable to communicate with body language. "And I'm quite sure your parents endorsed your turn playing mother for whatever experience it gave in needlework."

He stopped, remembering his mom showing him how to fix a tear in one of Yukiko's dolls clothes. "Huh, so that's what they were doin'. Never thought of it that way before..." He idly daydreamed of his earlier days of tailoring, the crappy stitches he'd made, the Frankensteins he'd made out of some of his unluckier stuffed toys. He suddenly fast forwarded to a certain silver dress, and recalled the reason for the conversation. "So yeah, for the whole me in a dress thing, that's your reason. That, and it felt kinda unfair if I just bailed everyone else still had to get on stage." **Real noble, Kanji, **he droned sarcastically,** Real manly. **The more he thought about that though, the more true it seemed. It did take guts, being a man, to go with all that crap. And men were brave. Brave enough to finally ask the question, not the big question, the obvious question, but the one that had been niggling at him for this since seeing a very different Naoto today. "Why are you doing this dress stuff all of a sudden?"

Now it was Naoto's turn to be caught unaware by the line of questioning. "As I said, I was exploring new options. Adapt or perish, as some say."

He proceeded with his task, but slowly, more methodically, as the tricky parts started to pop up. He shook his head at the table. "I'm not sure I buy that, that shit looked like it was was set pretty damn deep into ya. What changed?"

Was it strange that she could pinpoint the moment her feelings changed, to the exact second? "As Rise and Teddie were bussing me around the outfits on offer, I started to feel somewhat, overwhelmed, you may say, for a variety of reasons; could I go back to part of a female after so long despising those very ideals, would this serve a purpose even?" _Would you prefer me this way? _She clasped her hands together. "Thus, as is useful when faced with such complication, I reframed the situation in an attempt to seek a viable resolution. I decided that I need to make the effort be as good a woman as I am a detective, making the dress and rest of the ensemble necessary, though I am aware such a shift in my priorities won't yield instant results."

Distracted, Kanji managed to prick a digit, shaking the appendage and muttering a dark curse. He pursed his lips at the almost finished dress. "I ain't sure you can do it like that."

"Why not?" The detective questioned, folding her arms. "Hours spent on an activity inevitably makes one more proficient in said activity, it's a proven phenomenon."

Kanji scratched his temple with a temporarily free hand. "But it's not like, an actual thing you do; it's more a thing you are. Like what, spend ten hours in stockings and you're suddenly the perfect woman? It don't work like that Naoto." **The two-bit punk look sure as hell didn't make me a perfect man…**

His viewpoint made sense, Naoto knew that, and that her earlier attitude was slightly naive, but she begrudged the fact it meant the change couldn't be easy. _At_ _least that means it slots nicely with the rest of my life_, she thought rather dismally. She sat in sardonic silence, wallowing until she felt slightly petulant. "What would you suggest then?" She asked, her tone rather lame.

He cut the end of the last piece of thread with his teeth before he made his answer. "That there ain't no 'perfect' in there." He remembered his talks with Souji, and before that his father, and realised he, for once, was in the perfect position, with the right experience, to help. "Look," he began, dropping his tools unceremoniously on the table's surface, "You wanna know what my old man's last words to me before he croaked?" He didn't wait for an answer. "'If you're a man, you have to become strong.'" This had the effect of dropping the atmosphere like a stone. Naoto wasn't privy to any concrete information Kanji's relationship with his late father, but logical inferences and one time questioning of Souji (which earnt her a very disapproving stare), told her there was a latent hint of tragedy. She had no choice but to let him continue, curious as to what his eventual end point would be. "I spent so long wonderin' what that meant. At first I thought it was him tellin' me I weren't good enough, that he was disappointed I wasn't a 'real man' yet. Then I kept thinkin' he was tryin' to tell me to quit the sewin', or learn to take some hits in life. Messed me up really, got me into all that biker and thug shit…"

It took a quietly sincere question to shake him from his reverie. "So what changed for you?"

"It was the murders happening n' stuff really. The senpai made me realise, that bein' a man? It ain't about liftin' heavy shit, or jus' lookin' tough, it means you have to be kickass, and not take any crap. An' I'm pretty sure bein' a woman is the same thing." He was looking right at the partition now, and went to his feet. "I mean think of girls in the team. Their all so different, but they're all like, proper women, right? I wouldn't want to mess with any of them." He took a final look at his creation, holding it out at arm's length, picturing it being worn by its recipient. "You were already a kickass guy Naoto, so you're automatically a kickass chick. You don't need to change or nothin'." She thought she heard his voice drawing nearer, so wasn't startled by the dress dropping into her lap, thrown over the partition. "Dress is ready."

The girl didn't really look over the garment to see what had changed, being far too busy mulling over the tailor's words. _Nothing has to change? _She pulled the dress back onto her small figure, noting the fit felt different this time round, though honestly she couldn't tell if it was for better or worse. Remembering to slip the heels back on for full effect, she slipped out from the partition, ready to be judged by her friend, and perhaps more importantly, herself. It was a little disconcerting to see the tall boy casting such a professional eye over her, but it was a much minor feeling compared to when it was evoked by the hands of gawping police departments. "How does it look?" She asked tentatively.

He gestured to a tall mirror on the other side of the room. "You tell me, you're the one who's gotta wear it." She took slow strides to the reflective surface, and was taken aback by how different the her in this mirror was to the one back in the clothes store, especially in the in the small window Kanji had to work his magic.

It was the little things, and the big things; little things like altering the shape, so the entire piece hung not straight, but following the unexplored curves of her body. More noticeable additions such as a crude flower, made with a hodgepodge of materials and contrasting patterns, that somehow fit with the blue behind it, settled snugly just above her left breast. The big changes were perhaps the simplest in execution, pieces of a silkier blue fabric the same hue as the rest of the dress, attached the shoulders and the hem of the skirt, making a pair of short sleeves that danced with the movement of her torso on the former, and on the latter a trail that hung on her right leg down past the knee, only stopping a few inches above her ankle. She could imagine it rippling hypnotically in the wind while she walked, a notion she found strangely exciting despite its flamboyant nature. It was unorthodox; something she never would have agreed to on paper. But that was part of what made it so wonderful.

Kanji took a place behind her, still trying to see where he could have improved, and wincing slightly at every perceived shortcoming. Not that he could fault the girl wearing the fruit of his labours though- she made the dress look dazzling, better than he ever could have pictured. "Whaddya think?" He asked, with more than a little apprehension in his voice. "If ya don't like it, it's cool, I can do better…"

She turned to address the tailor directly. "Before I looked like a girl in a dress," She said candidly, "Now I can see something much more. Thank you Kanji-kun." He turned his head and breathed a massive sigh of relief, not sure if he could have taken a critique on his work by Naoto of all people. She turned back to once again marvel in his craftsmanship. "How did you ever fabricate such an intricate flower in such a short space of time?"

"Jus' somethin' I picked up," he answered honestly, "When you've done it once it kinda sticks with ya." He was beginning to feel a little creepy for just looking at Naoto for so long for one sitting, and found a spot on the ceiling to focus. He rubbed the back of his neck in an anxious fashion. "I could, er, show ya some time? Y'know, if you're interested…"

Naoto closed her eyes and smiled. "I'd like that." She kept turning her body, a small voice in hear head chastising her for posing, yet she couldn't do anything but. "I have to admit," She said honestly, "This seems a little extravagant for everyday use."

The tailor shrugged. "That don't matter, you can do whatever, jacket one day, dress next…" He scratched his ear absentmindedly. "Ya don't get girl points for just wearin' a skirt, remember?"

"That's quite true." She said, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"So yeah," Kanji concluded, smacking a strong fist into his palm, "Stick with what you like, I mean, what part of all this girl stuff works for you."

Naoto considered this, tugging at the skirt with her hands. "I reiterate the dress is excellent, but perhaps I should research more examples of women's fashion as well."

Kanji responded with enthusiasm. "Yeah! I mean, there's skirts, cardigens, blouses, shawls, and you can still wear all your guy stuff to boot. Honestly," he chuckled, slightly embarrassed, "All the options girls get, I've felt a little jealous sometimes…"

A grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. _He is so wonderfully passionate when within his element..._ She eyed herself in the mirror, casting a critical eye to her feet in particular. "The heels are a tad gratuitous."

Kanji nodded supportively, promoting her spurt of agency. "Sure, bin 'em. Balance always looked like an ass to me…"

"The makeup is entirely superfluous." She stated truthfully, rubbing the strangely textured coating on her cheek. Her other hand felt the queerly synthetic material covering her legs. "These tights are uncomfortable, and no matter what Rise says," she declared, narrowing her eyes at the phantom idol laughing in the mirror, "I am NOT shaving my legs."

The heat in that declaration made Kanji move away slightly. "Thass' cool too, you could just wear pants, or keep 'em bare I guess…" He caught the gaze of her reflection "So next time just try whatever you want. I-I can always help." he added nervously, before a smile stretched across his lips. "Anythin' to stop you dressin' like such a dork."

While catching his playful tone, Naoto's brow furrowed disapprovingly. "My usual garb is entirely fashionable."

"Anything you call 'garb' can't ever be fashionable. Sorry, just can't." Her narrowed eyes worried him for a second. "Come on, have you seen the trousers you wear?"

She could feel the blush before the explanation left her lips. "Such chequered patterns are a staple for detectives."

Kanji raised an eyebrow. "Really? What about for ones who ain't been dead for a hundred years?" He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, but the cute little scowl he earned was completely worth it. **Damn, I'm turning bitchy… **The tailor found himself getting lost in the creases of frown.** And she's cuter than ever.**

The detective's features relaxed as she spent, what felt like a good while, focusing on Kanji's face, a gormless smile etched on his lips. _His teeth are good, his skin is remarkably clear, and I must admit, those piercings are rather fetching… _She shook her head imperceptibly._ No, I'm mincing my words. He is attractive. Unbearably attractive._

The pair didn't realise they were closing the distance between one another before it was late to back out. It wasn't something fast, or sudden, it was more like gravity, paces and steps being made mindlessly by a force of their own.

**_This is it._**

**Holy fuck.** After months of waiting, feeling dread any time he was near her, chickening out from saying something more, the moment finally felt right. Damn the consequences, good, bad, or otherwise, he had to say it, finally throw it all out there.

_My word…_Her crush had been a shorter one perhaps, but no less intense. This was the one mystery she couldn't seem to solve, the one case with no loose ends and no resolution. It was finally going to be solved, yet she still wasn't sure where things would stand after she had given her testimony. But she was getting ahead of herself; she had to follow procedure. "Kanji-kun," she said quietly, and with some effort, evenly, "We agreed we'd discuss the real reason I was present at that square at a later date. Now it is such time, allow me to provide an explanation."

"I've got the damn explanation," Kanji dismissed bluntly, not wanting anyone, even her, get in the way of him finally letting it all out. "Rise had some dirt on me, so I had to go there or she'd spill."

Naoto tried to imagine what sordid secrets the idol could know about the tailor. _Intriguing... _"I see. She had some compromising information on me as well." She gulped. "So she arranged your presence as some misguided means of assistance…"

Her words confused him, slowing down his own attempt at disclosure. He was the one with something to hide after all. In his mind's eye, he saw it happening again, like it did at the diner weeks ago, being so close to saying something, but pulling out like a sissy. **Do it already knucklehead.**

Naoto herself was feeling a similar bewilderment at what could possibly be happening on his side, but she didn't have time to figure it out. She had words of her own to finally push out of her mouth. _ Pull the trigger Shirogane._

**_"I like you." _**They drilled into eachothers eyes, not appreciating the interruption.

**"Like you, like you I mean-" **_"_

_"In more than a platonic sense."_

They froze, realisation dawning slower than a sunrise. They were both saying the same things, were taken to the city for the same reason, and were standing in practically the same spot. But they both still had to ask the same silly question. **_"You do?"_**

The kiss was instant but tentative, many months worth of longing still not making the teenagers any more experienced. Naoto grabbed his shirt on instinct for balance, while Kanji cupped the back of her head to give her support, and feel that little bit closer. The longer it went on, the more their lips began to move, taking in more of the other party, the energy between them only escalating to higher and higher levels. The kiss became everything, and a thousand other things besides- what they had said, what they hadn't, the things they could now do, what they now were, and beyond all that, a sorrowful reception for the wasted time they had spent before this moment, not apart, but not truly together, not like they were now. A sweet oblivion, where it's two occupants had the luxury of their brains switching off, not thinking about, a certainly not questioning, what was happening, stepping aside as to let the two bodies fully appreciate the moment.

The sound of a creaking door was what finally broke the two apart. "Now what did I tell you two?" The shopkeeper teased, sticking her head through the gap, with an impish smile on her face. "I have some real customers waiting, so you two need to skedaddle." They left without a word, each staring at their own feet until they were out on the street. It was a few moments later when they noticed their fingers were interlocked.

They stood there; wide open on the sidewalk, both hesitant to say something, worried that could ruin everything. Turning their heads, they only saw terror in the others' eyes. It prompted Kanji to speak. "Did we just-"

"Yes." Naoto confirmed, succinct as ever.

He let that digest. So the moment he had been fantasising about for so long had actually happened. He had never thought about what he'd do after. "Uh…" He struggled; feeling betrayed none of the shitty romance movies his mom made him sit through ever covered this situation, always choosing to fade to the credits instead.

Naoto pulled gentle on his hand, taking him down the street. "Let's walk." He joined her without complaint, but kind of stumbled along, glancing down to their hands to check he wasn't dreaming. "Just to verify," the detective said evenly, "I feel a romantic… Interest, in you." The tailors' heart nearly jumped out of his chest. "Am I safe to assume you," she closed her eyes, "feel the same?"

"Uh-huh." Was his dumb reply. She lifted her eyelids, and they finally looked at each other, really looked at each other, a cautious smile spreading on both their faces. "Uh... what do we do now?"

There were so many things they could do now, which before would be frankly impossible, but Naoto naturally settled on a practical task. "We need to find Rise-chan and Teddie. We can't stay in this city forever." _Though with present company__ that would be perfectly acceptable. _

It made sense to Kanji too. "Right," he concurred, clapping his hands together, "Where do we start?"

The detective had already started scouring her memory banks for any relevant information on the other pair, and came up with a list of possible targets. "We've been gallivanting for around an hour now, and I'm ninety-nine percent sure they haven't been tailing us, so by this point they've probably gone somewhere to eat. Rise being an ex-idol, she has developed particular tastes, so no doubt chose some high class establishment." She stroked her chin. "But Teddie is not… So they would have likely made some compromise, and after eating at some exclusive café, he would drag her to obtain some dessert…"

If there was one thing Kanji new about Teddie, it was his eating habits. "Meanin' Popsicles?"

She smiled. "Very astute, Kanji-kun. So, where is a place Rise would have taken them, near enough to a place where one could acquire such frozen treats..." She snapped her fingers. "I have it. Follow me."

With the game afoot, Naoto sped off, jerking Kanji along with her at an alarming pace. **Man, **he thought, **she's got a strong grip. Or is that me? **She was showing an enthusiasm that was familiar to him, one also brought upon whenever they made a breakthrough in the case. "How the hell do you know where to go?!"

She bared her teeth like it was an unnecessary question. "Being the largest urban centre in the local area, I memorised its layout." _That must seem rather odd._ Her shoulders slumped slightly. "I… had a lot of free time when there was no progress in the serial murder case…"

It made Kanji sad to think of all the time she spent alone, before joining the team. **You know how that feels. **"Y'know, you're really good at all the deducing crap and whatever it is you do."

"As are you at your own craft. Honestly," she said, his compliment brightening her up, "This dress is practically art."

He blushed. "Thanks…" A thought came to him. "Hey, do you ever… Nah, forget it."

"Do I ever what?" She pressed. "I certainly think we can talk freely now we've exchanged saliva…"

"Why'd you have'ta make it sound all disgusting like that?" **It was sorta beautiful… **He made a face.** Now I sound disgusting. **Naoto was looking up at him expectantly, so he had to barge through with his rather depressing line of thought. "D'ya ever worry you'll forget how to be a good detective?"

The question threw her. "I can't say the thought has ever crossed my mind..." She shook her head, not able entertain the notion for even a second. "It seems far-fetched I would suddenly be unable to do something I've spent half my life training for."

"Yeah, I know it's stupid…" He stuck his free hand into his pocket. "I just have this nightmare," he went on, "one day I'll wake up and I just can't stitch, or sew, or anything anymore. Then what am I good for? It's kind of all I got."

"You have me," she blurted. She ceased walking, making Kanji pause with her, the pair for the first time not bothering to hide the furious blushes on their faces. She attempted to form a serious expression. "A-and the rest of the team of course. You're talents won't ever leave you, but even if that was the case, I'm sure you could find some other niche."

He nodded slowly. "You're right." Moving close to the girl, almost on instinct, he mumbled "Thanks Naoto."

Considering they both had an ample window to prepare this time around, this kiss was much more coordinated. Naoto had never realised such a simple and unsanitary action could be so fulfilling. Kanji was surprised at how much warmer and softer the detective was in the flash as opposed to in his wildest dreams. As their lips moved apart, Naoto couldn't help but look over her shoulders. They were kissing out in the open now; surely people would be turning their heads?

But the lovers were ignored, even by people passing right by them. "It's odd," she thought aloud, as the pair resumed their walking, "I draw more attention in my usual attire than in this more ornate affair, partaking in activities that are much more improper."

"It ain't that weird," Kanji offered, shrugging his shoulders, "We're kissin' an' we like each other, it's what you're supposed to do, right?" She smiled to show her understanding. He landed a palm on his forehead. "Shit, now I get why it felt so strange on the train here." Naoto tilted her head in curiosity. "I get it now. No-one was givin' me the stink-eye they usually do…" He looked down at his chest. "Must be not havin' that skull around."

"It is theorised that if you take away a single distinctive characteristic of a person, most of the public would find them unrecognisable." She rubbed her ear absentmindedly. "I usually draw some attention myself, but now I look completely unlike the 'Detective Prince' that dominated the local news media." She retook Kanji's hand fearlessly. "I must admit, this anonymous feeling is rather… Liberating."

"No kiddin'." Kanji agreed. In a bold move he removed his hand from hers, and laid his arm carefully over her shoulders, his heart only beginning to pound when his brain caught up with what his limbs were doing. Thankfully she seemed to appreciate this action, and sidled into him closer still. **I can definitely get used to this… **He thought dreamily.

"It's rather unfair…" she contemplated, running her hands through the soft fabric of the dress. "I've had to change so much to slip under the radar. All you required however was a change of shirt."

He thought this over for a few seconds. "Sure it is," He said, looking down to her, "Do you really care?"

She wrapped her arm delicately around his waist. "Not really." She absently let her head rest on his ribs, and closed her eyes, content to let the moment continue for at long as possible. They spent a few minutes in this blissful state, before Naoto was roused by the sound of a smirk coming from above her. "Are you laughing, Kanji-kun?"

He shook his head. "Nah, it's nothin', just…" He paused, scratching the back of his head, "Never thought this'd actually happen is all."

The detective smiled softly. "I had similar doubts." She grabbed the tailors' hand firmly. "So we will not take this for granted, yes?" Their eyes became determined for a moment, welcome confirmation that they were each taking the matter seriously, that they weren't going to let the opportunity slip away, before the serene effect of the others' companionship allowed their expressions to grow calm. Naoto spotted a particular logo jutting out of an establishment around the corner. "We can agree Rise's intervention here was for the best, correct?"

Kanji held up their intertwined hands. "Duh."

"I'm glad you think so," She smiled slyly, "But I feel such manipulation shouldn't go entirely unpunished..."

Away from the two new sweethearts, Rise was sitting in a comfy booth, sipping some wonderfully exotic tea neither she nor Teddie could pronounce the name of. The bear himself was cheerfully making his way through a pile of Popsicles of flavours equally bizarre, the kind you just couldn't find in Inaba. "Y'know," Rise sighed, "Maybe we should've followed them, the train's leaving soon. Now we have no idea where they are."

"Don't fret Rise-chan." Teddie soothed, slurping away at a Popsicle, this one in particular a cheese flavour. "If love can find them, they can find us!"

"Sure," the Idol muttered darkly, "And if love doesn't find them, we better hope to god they don't find us." The pair carried on slurping and sipping, with Rise, despite her usual self assuredness, the only one worrying; what if it had all gone wrong, what if they hated each other now, what if they were both so embarrassed they'd move away? They were only trying to help!

Those fears washed away as a familiar pair walked through the café door. "Oh, here they are!" Rise exclaimed. Springing out of her seat, and dashed over to the two of them, filled with questions. "Oh my god, how did it go? Where were you? Holy hell what happened to your dress?!" She winked to the tall boy. "Did Kanji fix it up, you gentleman, you!" They remained silent, doing their best to keep their features unreadable. "You're lucky you're here, the train's leaving in a few minutes." She leaned in close, and whispered conspiratorially. "Seriously, how'd it go?"

"We have no idea what you're talking about." Naoto said evenly. She marched over to Teddie, still by the table, and held out her hand. "I require my property." The bear was confused; shouldn't those two be in each others' arms, kissing and flirting by now? Did something go wrong? Feeling his ears droop along with his and Rise's failure, he solemnly handed over the detectives' briefcase and clothes.

"Thank you Teddie." She turned on her heels and strutted right back over to Rise. "And our tickets?"

The idol wagged a petulant finger. "Nu-uh, no way." She narrowed her eyes. "You've gotta tell us what went down first!"

The detective shrugged idly. "There is nothing to discuss, Rise-chan. There were no significant development, right Kanji-kun?"

"Uh, yeah." There was something off in his voice, but Rise couldn't catch it due to him shoving an outstretched palm in front of her place. "Hand 'em over."

Dejected, but seeing little option not to, Rise riffled through her pockets, and produced two of the return tickets, with Naoto's wallet for good measure. She glared at the pair receiving them, but she could have sworn there was the ghost of a smile on the lips of the blue haired girl. "Thank you for your cooperation." She turned around to the door. "Alas, I suppose we must be away. Kanji-kun?"

The boy nodded, and they left together, so rigidly that you wouldn't even be able to tell they were friends. Rise stalked back over to her own partner in a considerable huff. "Ugh," she seethed, "what the hell was up with them?" She produced a magnificent scowl. "Seriously, they were downright scary."

The bear's bottom lip was trembling. "I guess the plan was a failure…" Teddie moped. "And I was so sure they'd be all sloppy make outs by now…"

Rise sighed. "Not even Risette can work miracles…" They planted themselves back into their seats, finishing their respective food and drink in a heavy silence. After a short while, she checked her watch. "Alrighty," she announced, her usual enthusiasm quickly returning to avert a class A Teddie breakdown, "Guess we gotta head to the station. Let's get on a carriage away from those two sourpusses," She rolled her eyes, "and here was me thinking they'd be thanking us by this point…"

The pairs indulgence at the café meant they weren't exactly on time, and were moving at a fast pace by the time they reached the station. As they approached the turnstiles, Rise reached into her jacket to grab their tickets, but was surprised to find nothing but pocket lint. "Wha?"

Teddie's eyes widened, completely alarmed. "Rise-chan?!"

"I-I swear I had them…" She frantically stabbed through her other pockets to no avail, and threw her gaze up helplessly past the gate in front of them. The barrier was right next to the platform, making the train agonisingly close. Rise and Teddie gasped at figures in the the train window. It was the detective and the tailor, waving smugly from their seats, with two tickets apiece being proudly displayed as the train pulled them away. Their friend's indignation at having to buy a new way home was quickly drowned out by their squeals when the homeward bound couple decided to seal their exit with a kiss.

* * *

**AN: **Yeah, it finally happened! Man, that felt good to write...  
I took an old suggestion from Ikusary to combine the first three chapters. For easier reading, or to make it so this story didn't end on unlucky number thirteen? You decide! But yeah, that means there's only one more chapter to go, which is kinda sad, but I hope you're looking forward to it! Thanks again for everyone reading and reviewing so far, you guys keep me going!


	11. Everybody- Floating

A singsong voice echoed down the school corridor. "I know something you don't know~!"

"You know what, Rise-chan," Yukiko responded, with drooping eyelids, "That must be wonderful for you."

Her friend went on, with a spring in her step as they walked down the drab hallway. "It's real juicy too!" She stopped, and placed her hands teasingly on her hips. "Come ooooon, aren't you dying to know what it is?"

The Amagi heiress was slightly conflicted about her friendship with Rise. Her interactions with the idol provided excellent training on how to handle the more eccentric customers at the inn, but on the other hand, she was overworked as it is. "Not particularly," she said, turning around to face her underclassman, "The last time you were like this, it turned out Souji-senpai wasn't trying to seduce the old woman by the river."

Rise shrugged cheerfully. "Can't get 'em all!" She narrowed her eyes. "Though there's still something fishy about all that I reckon…"

The bell chimed, which was welcome to Yukiko, who couldn't think of a single retort. "Well, I have to get back to class, so if you excuse me-"

"Wait!" The idol jumped forward and held out an arm, blocking her friend's route to the stairs. "We're meeting at Junes after school, you know, like usual. Be there, and get the other guys to come too!"

Yukiko eyed her shorter friend sceptically. "Is this for any particular reason?"

"No, of course not," she said smoothly, with a wink, "But I can guarantee, you won't want to miss it!"

The heiress stared for a few moments, until the thought of one of Kashiwagi's punishments for tardiness made the decision for her. "Sure, we can all stop by I guess."

"Oh, you're the best, senpai!" Rise pulled her into one of her ridiculously strong hugs, and left skipping down the corridor, calling "Don't be late!"

Yukiko shook her head as she walked to her lesson. Sometimes she was jealous of the boundless energy her friend seemed to have, other times she was glad she wasn't nearly as volatile. Still, as she took her usual seat in front of Chie, she smiled, thinking how nice it would be to hang out together.

Thankfully, Kashiwagi was having one her hangover days, and assigned the class group work as she left, grumbling something obscene as she left. Turning around, Yosuke had already joined the pair behind her and put their desks together, forming their usual study group. Swivelling her chair, Yukiko carefully placed her stationary on the surface, careful to avoid nudging any of her best friend's own equipment. "Oh," She began by way of a greeting, "Rise-chan says she wants us to meet at Junes after school. Are you all available?"

Yosuke, already sitting across from his so called 'partner', through his hands up in the air, exclaiming "Her too?!" His outburst prompted raised eyebrows from the rest of the group. "Teddie was talking about some sort of meeting I just haaaad to go to, all through breakfast," he explained, "Though considering Souji never mentioned anything about it, I figured he was talking about a staff meeting."

Their leader ran a hand through his hair. "Y'know, it's not like everything we do has to be run by me first; its good those two are taking some initiative."

Chie rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah yeah, but Rise and Teddie? Oh brother…"

Yukiko, protective of all her friends, rushed to their defence. "What do you mean? It's always nice to hang out."

"Sure it is," Yosuke agreed, raising a finger, "But that takes one person to set up. The both of them being involved?" He continued, lifting another. "Let's just say I don't like those odds."

The heiress hummed, looking to the ceiling and placing a single finger on her chin. "You may have a point actually. We were talking during the break period and she kept saying she knew something I didn't…"

"Really? Teddie going on and on at breakfast at how things will be revealed or whatever..." The brunette turned quiet, looking between his three friends around their table. "You think she has some dirt on us?"

Chie laughed, with a slightly nervous edge. "Like what exactly, none of us has done anything scandalous, right?"

"Maybe." The group all turned their heads to Souji, eyes wide, who while impassive as ever, had a small smile on one corner of his lips. "Maybe not. Only way to find out is to turn up, right?"

The friends glanced at one another uncertainly. Souji was certainly mysterious enough to have a treasure trove of secrets, and their brains were working overtime to figure out which one Rise and Teddie had unearthed. "Sure," Yosuke nodded shakily, "Not like there's anything to reveal..."

The conversation was quickly turned back to the actual work at hand, and the rest of the day went on without incident, although all three of their underclassmen were conspicuously absent at lunch. "Probably all got detention, right?" Souji offered, munching heartily through an omelette that may or may not have had an actual uncooked egg sticking through it's centre.

They walked out of the class at final bell as a group, at this point discussing how Yosuke could ride his bike to school every day and still look like he could fall off at any second. 'It's old!' was his current counterargument, glaring at Chie for the joy she was gleaning from her teasing. "I keep trying to get a new one but Teddie always eats half my paycheck somehow." He grimaced. "Sometimes literally."

"Sure," the martial artist sniggered, lifting a lazy side-kick to nudge the battered bike trundling beside her friend. "My cousin's had the same bike for like, ten years now, and he's always jumping off ramps and stuff like a pro, without looking like a gangling loser."

The boy moved his bike away from her, pushing Souji between them to use as a makeshift barrier. "Quit it already!" He shook his head, frustrated. "That cousin story sounds like complete bull anyway."

"Nuh-uh," she wagged her finger, "he's a Satonaka, and we're always primed for adventure!" She jumped into a high kick, as if to prove her point, but landed awkwardly, tumbling to her side and into her best friend's feet.

Yukiko let loose one of her trademark sniggers. "*Snrk*… Primed for adventure…" She looked down to her friend, with a huge smile on her face. "Misadventure, more like!"

And that set her off, leaving Chie and Yosuke unamused as their friend struggled to breathe. "That isn't even clever wordplay…" they muttered under her high pitch laughter. Souji however didn't seem to mind, and smiled along with Yukiko's uncontrollable mirth.

Reaching Junes, Yosuke locked up his bike in the back as usual, and they all squeezed into the elevator, Chie jumping out at the last second to race them to the food court via the stairs. A still red faced Yukiko smirked. "She does that every time, I swear."

"Childish minds can take enjoyment from the most ridiculous things, Yukiko-san." Yosuke winked. "And Miss Satonaka certainly has one of those…" His jab earnt him a half hearted whack on the back of the head, courtesy of Souji, though the shop boy had gotten so used to pain after making a dig it barely registered, thanks to the constant efforts of negative reinforcement by both Chie and Kanji.

They reached their usual table at the food court, all unsurprised to find Teddie and Rise already waiting for them, all smiles, each with a box of juice. A panting Chie joined them a few seconds later. "Darn, I thought I had you this time…" She moaned, flopping down into one of the uncomfortable chairs. She turned her attention to the pair already seated. "So," She asked, cutting right to the chase, "What's this about?"

The idol placed a hand on her chest, trying to look innocent. "What are you saying? I can arrange to meet with my friends without there being some sort of ulterior motive y'know." She folded her arms, shaking her head dramatically. "You disappoint me, Chie-senpai."

"Sure you can," Yosuke agreed, taking a seat of his own, and his classmates taking their place beside him, "But not when you and Ted have been acting so weird today. What's really going on?"

Teddie looked like he wanted to speak, but Rise held out her hand, determined for this to play out exactly the way she wanted it to. She leaned back in her chair and stretched out her arms. "I love this place, don't you? The 'Special Headquarters'!" Everyone but Souji stared at her, perplexed by her wittering. "Alas," she swooned wistfully, "We are not the kids we used to be. After all the meetings, the hours we've spent here as friends, even a spot as important as this will change to something entirely new..." She tilted her head at her upperclassmen, and asked them a question. "So what's missing right now? What's different?"

While their leader just chuckled, the other three let their gaze wander, looking at the other tables, the shrubbery near the railing, and the advertisements on the wall, not seeing anything significant. Is Rise doing some sort of scavenger hunt? Did they move something around? What is she- "Kanji and Naoto are missing." Souji answered smoothly.

While Rise pouted, the other contestant's vision snapped to the two empty chairs around the table, both they could now see as conspicuously vacant. "Seeeeenpaaaai," Rise whined, "You didn't have to give the game up so quickly…"

"I could have been wrong." He replied, smiling. "But frankly, you're having way too much fun with this." He angled his head to his classmates. "Just tell them already."

The three in the dark flipped her heads to Souji. "Tell us what?" They asked together.

Ready to burst at this point, Teddie sprang up, grabbing his own face with a startling intensity. "Kanji and Nao-chan smooched." Just to make sure, he leaned over the table and turned up the volume. "KANJI AND NAO-CHAN SMOOCHED!"

Yukiko, mostly on instinct for the preservation of her personal space, bopped the top of the blonde's head, skewing his balance, so he flopped onto the table, face first, and gingerly slid off the side to the floor. Chie and Yosuke ignored this spectacle however, looking to a slightly more trustworthy source for confirmation. "Is he telling the truth, Rise-chan?" The boy asked, who remained unconvinced that the big lug or the pint-sized dork would have ever made a move on one another.

The idol nodded. "It's true; we both saw it, right Ted?"

The beard ascended from his position groaning on the floor, slowly crawling back into his chair. "Yup!" he corroborated. "It was on a train and it was so romantic looking and everything; we were like thirty feet away and we could tell, so it must've been super lovey!"

"Well thank god." Chie put succinctly, rubbing her eyes. That weird as hell double date had been playing on the back of her mind for days, making her fret as to whether trying to help had just made things harder for her tall friend. But it had all worked out! "Wait a sec," she said slowly, "Thirty feet? We're you spying on them or something?"

"It's a long story that's totally not worth getting into." The idol said dismissively, refocusing her efforts into pouting at Souji. "We never even told you how the plan went, how did you know it worked?"

Their leader laughed. "Because otherwise there would have been a double homicide in the news, and I'm pretty sure the untimely demise of Risette would make the front page."

"Plan?" Yosuke asked curiously, sitting in this spot always gearing his mind into being slightly more analytical. "You were in on this?"

"Not per say," Souji quickly pointed out, "but I sanctioned their mission." The rest of the team gave him disapproving stares and he raised his hands in defence. "Those two were hopeless; they needed something drastic to happen." Blushing, the grey-haired boy looked down to his feet. "Besides, I totally shipped them."

That last muted comment being left unacknowledged, Yukiko hummed in assent. "I guess. To tell the truth Naoto came to me asking for advice on how to approach him…"

"Me too," Chie gasped, "But it was Kanji I was trying to help. Guy had no clue." She winced pointedly in Yosuke's direction. "Man, we sure as hell didn't make things any easier."

Yosuke rubbed his temple. "We didn't know any better dude. Y'know, it was weird, before that, I found her looking at magazines or something. I only realised later she must've been looking in them for details or something..."

"What, like girls magazines?" Rise interjected. "The trashy kind? Naoto-kun?"

"Yeah, she must've gotten desperate. Weirder thing was she started moaning about how them being full of crap and I ended up telling her what to take from her." He scratched his head, still in awe from how strange that whole day was. "What a way to give dating advice…"

The idol smiled wide. "Oh, Yosuke-senpai, I bet you two had a nice girly natter on what to do with boys!" Yosuke, knowing arguing would only further dig him into a hole, stayed silent.

"You never do that with me, Yosuke, why do you have to save it for Nao-chan!" Teddie complained, leaving Yosuke to wonder why he didn't keep his mouth shut. The bear sighed. "If only sensei tried to help her, those two would have been from nought to smooch-y in 5 seconds flat."

"I did, actually," Souji said, helpfully trying to deflect the attention off of Yosuke, "She was meeting with Kanji down at Aiya's and I was trying to calm her nerves. Actually, I was with him as well to set them up to eat together in the first place. I sorta had to push him into it." He snorted. "Hell, I even had to come up with a whole game plan…"

Teddie's eyes lit right up. "A game plan? Can I have a copy," he pleaded desperately, "I wanna get aaaaall the hot babes just like you and Kan-chan!" Rise playfully slapped the bear on the shoulder, just hard enough to bring him back to earth and not sidetrack the conversation.

"Oh, I didn't have to do any of that," Yukiko offered, figuring that everyone was sharing. "Naoto-kun was being a little… Uptight, about how to talk to him; she was treating him like some sort of suspect in a case. I just told her she needed to be calmer and treat him normally."

"That sounds good." Chie said supportively. "She takes her job way too seriously... I just told Kanji the usual stuff you're supposed to."

The rest of them looked at her inquisitively. "Like…" Yukiko ventured.

"Uh, y'know, to man up, stop being so lame- just telling him to ask her out already really." She shrugged. "That's all there is to it, right?"

Rise rolled her eyes, raising the heckles of the green clad martial artist. "And that, among other things, is the reason why you're still single, Chie-senpai. You're so naïve."

Before she had her chance to explode all over the pity-filled idol, Teddie nodded vigorously. "That's right, Chie-chan. Love is a complicated emotion. It requires finesse and a particular touch to help on its way."

Chie scowled at the pair. "So what was this 'plan' you two brain geniuses came up with that apparently worked better than anything else we did?"

"It was pretty simple really." Rise bragged brusquely, sipping her drink through its straw. "We basically locked the two of them up in Okina until they sorted themselves out."

They were all expecting to be outraged, but instead quietly hummed in approval. "That's pretty clever actually." Yukiko admitted.

Rise winked ever so smugly, clicking her fingers into a pair of guns pointing confidently at her friends. "That's how we roll!

"That wasn't even half of it," Teddie continued enthusiastically, "We even got Nao-chan in the cutest little dress-"

"Wait WHAT?!" Even Souji cried out at this revelation, the group's mouths all slightly agape, letting Rise and Teddie settle into their chairs feeling more and more self satisfied.

"Yeah," Rise drawled, inspecting her nails and doing her best to look unimpressed, "I guess undoing year's worth of psychological trauma incurred by the patriarchy of the police force is simple if you're us."

The rest were still trying to process the idea Naoto-in-a-dress. "…Did she look good?" Yosuke ventured.

Teddie growled, which for him only came out as a purr. "Uh uh uh, Yosuke, she's Kanji's now, don't be getting any ideas!"

"Oooh, down boy!" Rise tittered to her friend by her side. "That doesn't matter," she said, talking back to the shop boy now, "The important thing is team Risette won!" The pair high-fived, her underling easily accepting the lack of proper recognition.

Yukiko looked at them oddly. "What do you mean?"

"You all tried to give them advice, right?" They mumbled some agreement. "But it was us who actually got them together, therefore-"

"Therefore," Teddie jumped in excitedly, "We're the best love doctors ever!"

They smacked their palms together once again, Yosuke watching their display with tired eyes. "Whatever, y'know, I'm still not sure I believe them…"

"Yeah, those two?" Chie wrinkled her nose. "Would they really have the stones to kiss on the first date?"

Rise acted nonchalant. "You might just find out for yourselves," she said coyly, addressing the table, "They're coming over here at some point."

"They are?" Yukiko asked, snapping her head over her shoulders and glancing around in rather paranoid fashion.

"Sure. The plan went down a couple of days ago, so yesterday I was trying to pin them down for aaaages, and they only agreed to talk if we were here as a group so they could, uh, 'present themselves'." She smiled apologetically. "Naoto-kun's words."

Yosuke groaned. "Even if they're together they have to act like they're coming out."

Souji shook his head, rubbing his eyes. "You have to admit, it's very like them."

"When d'ya think they'll show?" Chie wondered, already starting to feel a little hungry. "Yosuke owes me some money, so he can get us some food while we wait."

"Goddammit," the shop boy complained, firmly slapping a palm onto his face, "I thought we already settled that!"

The martial artist only snarled. "The hell we did!"

And so the pair devolved into their usual arguing, while everyone else prepared to sit comfortably until the real couple arrived.

* * *

Naoto and Kanji meanwhile, had arranged to rendezvous at the shrine. It was a location chosen by Naoto, due to its discrete nature during the hours immediately following school and it placement very close to Kanji's home. Kanji went with it with no complaints. **Probably stand the throw a few hundred yen in the box for my luck over the last couple days… **He tossed in some loose change; half hoping the fox would pop out and let him actually pet him for once. **That fur looks softer than Teddies'… **He bemoaned silently.

Naoto arrived in a turquoise blouse, one Kanji had quickly fashioned for her on request. The chequered trousers were her usual, and while they clashed, were all the better for it, and her hat was a welcome companion for her crown once again. _Comfortable and familiar. _She moved to meet her… she wasn't quite sure what to call him yet, standing at the altar. _Like him. _Reaching his side, she leaned into him, gently caressing his arm. "Did you make an offering?" She asked drowsily, his proximity already intensifying that strange subdued giddy feeling that had been gently flowing underneath every other emotion since Okina.

"Uh, a little…" He admitted, listing off a little. "Got a lot to thank 'em, right?" He added meekly, turning away to hide his blush. She didn't miss that rather lame comment, and rewarded him with a peck on the cheek, with involved her stretching up to beyond her height and pulling him down ever so slightly. As she dropped down off her toes and back to her heels, a thought occurred to her, so she stepped towards the offertory box and inspected it idly. "Watcha doin'?" The boy inquired, not bothering to follow her.

She took some final glances before turning back around to face him. "I was pondering over Ameno-Sagiri. As the 'god of the fog', would he have accepted any generic offerings made to the whole pantheon?" She began to pace back and forth, striding across the altar, as Kanji looked on, trying to keep up. "He said he was working for the collective subconscious of the populous. Was that true? Did our hidden thoughts truly strengthen him? Is he still somewhere now, biding his time before he lets loose the fog on another location?"

The tailor's expression was rather blank, and as you would expect, couldn't help her elaborate on her theories. "Er, I guess he could be? He was a giant eye, dude was weird."

"Yes, but why an eye, to see through the fog? Is it our eyes that secrete the fog, in fact, as we gloss over that which we do not wish to see?" She sighed, scuffing the ground with her shoe. "There's so much we'll never know, so many wild coincidences and inconsistencies. Why was it only the trio of Nametame, Adachi, and Seta-senpai who could enter the TV with no assistance? We must have missed something, we should have pressed them all further…"

Kanji hated Naoto in beat-herself-up mode, and could only stick his hands in his pockets and offer weak support. "Can't do much about that," he coughed, "whole year was pretty much impossible to deal with. Ya did good."

"I know, but I can't help but wonder… But we stopped the murders, so that's satisfactory at least." She smirked wryly, shaking her head. "Honestly, I'm surprised we haven't spent any time discussing the ramifications for the fact we each can personally vouch for the existence of supernatural beings in our world, a world considered by many as drab and uninteresting." She closed her eyes. "Perhaps in the past we would have been able to tell our story, and be seen as prophets, apostles telling a parable, teaching humanity to accept one of its' many follies…"

"Uh… I dunno. I think we'd sound crazy wherever or whenever the case took place." Her pacing was beginning to worry him, so he stepped out in front of her path. "'Sides, that shit don't matter. We've got bigger things to worry about."

Compared the stress of actually confessing their feelings, this was rather minor, but it still wasn't exactly easy. The events in Okina two days prior had been a whirlwind, and the couple had spent every moment since together when they could afford to. Naturally, Rise had eventually come calling, and it had only been at the textiles shop yesterday when the teenage superstar and finally managed to pin them down, without them being able to run away or just not acknowledge her. Obviously they couldn't hope to be discrete, so Naoto mediated a deal, whereby they would answer any and all questions ("Within reason," She had stressed), as long as they could do it all together, as the team. "Yes." She agreed, though she was doubtful the relationship of a detective and a tailor was something bigger than unravelling the mysteries of their universes' apparent metaphysical nature. She grabbed his hand, running little circles with its back. "Do you think you're ready?"

"Eh," he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, "Prolly' not. Yosuke'll be an ass about it, and Rise n' Teddie are only gonna be annoying." He nodded down to her, now with a determined expression. "But we ain't got anythin' to hide. It's the senpai, it'd be wrong to lie to 'em."

_And honesty has worked wonderfully so far. _She made a noise of affirmation. "You are correct, Kanji-kun, however," she thought aloud, "I wonder if this will destabilised the team dynamic..."

"We ain't just a team, we're friends, right?" He smiled reassuringly, not sure if it was for her benefit, or his own. "Remember all the times whenever we made a little mistake in the TV an' one of us took a bad hit because of it? We stuck together even when we just about killed eachother. This is nuthin'."

He had soothed her worries expertly- they were a couple now, and the team of all people should be the first to know. Still, she wasn't exactly buzzing with excitement for the prospect of an interrogation, so she decided prolong this blissful scene, of her and Kanji, alone. "Do you come here often?" She inquired innocently.

He snorted, and gave her a strange look. "We're already together; ya don't need pick up lines…"

"That wasn't my intention, you dolt." She chided, playfully hitting his calf with the side of her shoe. "I mean for spiritual purposes, its proximity to your domicile is rather convenient."

**Uh, she meant house, right? **"Nah," he answered, "Not my kind of thing. Ma tries to drag me out for New Year's most of the time though…" He scratched his chin, and continued gradually, reluctant as to whether he was giving too much away. "Actually, I've been here a couple times recently; just to tell dad what's goin' on, cemetery's a bit while away ya see…" He explained, acting almost apologetic.

Of course, Naoto welcomed his transparency, and began to think of her parents. _It's been so long since- No. _She had someone to talk about these things with now, and letting herself brood in an inner monologue was quite frankly pointless. "It's been so long since I've visited their graves…" She said slowly snaking her arm around his more securely for comfort. The boy beside her jolted slightly, trying to pay attention, determined to be helpful, and not insensitive or distracted. "They were put to rest at the estate, and since there has been little incident since the end of the case, I've had little reason to return." She glanced at him slyly. _Or more rather, more reason to stay here._

He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Yeah. Whole thing's tough, hell, I never even visited the old man before I got thrown in the TV..." He turned his head away from the girl on his arm, feeling quite sure his next sentence would make her think he was some kind of monster. "I was still angry with him… Christ," he groaned, rapping his skull with his knuckles, "I was stupid as hell."

"Anger is a perfectly normal reaction to loss." She assured him, unknowingly slipping back to her old self, talking like a dictionary rather than a person. "It's a key part of the seven stages of grief, you shouldn't feel frustrated with yourself."

The tailor shook his head, still trying to avoid her gaze. "Pretty sure it ain't normal to be stuck on that step for months though-" he cursed himself in frustration. "Man, it was years even..."

Now the detective had her own uneasy confession to make. "I envy you." She said simply, her eyes boring a hole in the stone between her shoes.

Now Kanji looked at her, head down, smaller than ever and deathly silent. Tentatively, he made his way to the ground, pulling her down with him, so they could at least be at the same level. Gently, he brushed her chin and pulled her eyes to his, which were thankfully not watering, but instead were startlingly empty, a sea without its sparkle. "You wanna talk about it?" He asked softly.

Her voice was steady, matter of fact, it was Naoto even, but there was still something off. "I never felt… Anything really. No grief, no shock, not even numbness; I just continued on, as a child, and the events- the paramedics, the funeral, moving into the estate, they all just flew by me. I took it in stride, and never suffered from any kind of post-traumatic stress." She removed her cap, and idly placed it on her knees. "Supposedly, you're supposed always feel something, even if it's in your subconscious, and it takes a long time to rise to the surface…" She sighed. "That never happened, and now I wonder if there's something… wrong with me. That my path in life and my career choice were chosen purely to bring me closer to two phantoms."

Kanji only had to think for a few moments before dismissing her long winded doubts. "Nah," he said candidly, "I saw you work during the case; you're such a nerd about all that detective stuff that it's got to be what you wanna do with yourself." She tried to scowl at being so lamely insulted, and while her brow complied, her lips could only make a small smile. "'Sides, you were makin' your gramps proud, and that's still important."

"I suppose." She laughed a little. "I apologise, my inner ramblings usually don't bother other people…"

"Let them this time," he said sincerely, taking her hand, "I wanna be able to help you out. Y'know, when I can I mean."

"I will," she replied in earnest, "on the condition you let me do the same. I'd rather not let any of your psychoses grow to dangerous proportions." Kanji decided she was making a joke (**A bad one…**) and moved in closer before he could think it through any further. Their kiss broke them free of the shackles of reality for a fair few moments, them a small voice brought them back down to earth.

"Kanji-chan? Naoto-kun? Why are you kissing?" They split apart, startled, and looked up to the face of Nanako Dojima. The little girl was as cute as ever, staring down with wide eyed curiosity.

Kanji and Naoto looked at each other, lost for words, and then the former took the rare step of taking the initiative. "Uh… 'Cus we like each other?"

While the detective would have preferred to give a more thorough explanation, the younger girl seemed satisfied. "Oh, that's okay then!" She said brightly, turning around. The two teenagers blushed in embarrassment, letting their hands touch on the gritty stone floor. "Dad!" The girl called, making the couple's stomachs drop. "It's okay, they like each other!"

The adult, who was hanging back, strode towards them, a cheeky smile showing his teeth. The sight of Naoto's former superior and Kanji's occasional jailer sprang the two of them to their feet, and they subtly put a little more distance between themselves. "I just wanted to check, Nanako," He said cheerily, ruffling his daughter's hair, "I could arrest them otherwise," He joked, half seriously. He focused on Kanji, a twinkle in the older man's eyes. "So, Tatsumi, I see you've navigated the maze."

"Oh!" Kanji had partially suppressed the impromptu lesson his friend's uncle had casually imparted, and the moment only felt more moment as it flooded back. "Uh, yes sir?" The punk bowed stiffly. "Thank you?" This left the older man laughing, a booming sound that was deep and unfamiliar, his daughter smiling, Naoto perplexed, and Kanji about as uncomfortable as anything.

The younger detective moved to regain control of the situation. "Dojima-san." she greeted, also bowing, but perhaps with more respect. "What brings you to the shrine?"

The man's expression faltered for a moment, but Nanako had already pounced on the question. "It's mom's birthday!" She announced cheerfully, quieting down when she noticed her enthusiasm contrasted the atmosphere generated by her elders.

"Yeah," Dojima confirmed slowly, "Before we came here on the day it happened…" He paused for a few moments, still not strong enough to completely break away from the web of the past. "I figured it was about time we started remembering her on a… More positive day."

"I see," Naoto nodded slowly. _What a refreshing idea, _she thought to herself. _Their birthdays don't match up, but perhaps that makes for a good excuse to visit more often…_

"I get it," Kanji clumsily agreed, not quite sure whether to look at the widowed father, or the now-motherless daughter. **Shit I wish I had a bear or somethin' to give her…**

"Later we're gonna light a paper lantern for her by the river," Nanako rattled on, unfazed, "Do you want to join us? Big bro's gonna be there, it was his idea!" She declared proudly. "He bought a bunch, so there'll be enough for everyone."

Her enthusiasm threw the adolescents off, struggling to form a response for the beaming young girl. "Uh…" Kanji groaned, not wanting to say no to something so adorable and tiny, but also aware it was not perhaps an invitation he should accept.

"That is," Naoto put more eloquently, "we wouldn't want to intrude-"

"No, you should come along." Dojima said firmly. His eyes softened as he studied the two young people. "I've seen both your files," he cringed slightly, "and, uh… She'd look all alone up there by herself. Besides," he continued, his expression losing much of its melancholy edge, "it would nice for Souji to have people around while we're busy reminiscing."

The tailor probably would have kept trying to splutter out some sort of excuse, if it wasn't for the girl beside him taking matters in her own hands. "Of course, it would be our pleasure," she replied, with a formal nod. She took a hold of Kanji's elbow and began to steer him towards the exit. "If you excuse us, we have a prior engagement, and I'm sure you wish your prayers to be private."

Nanako only smiled even wider. "Great, we'll see you guys later!" As the couple left through the ornate arch of the shrine, the girl finished waving them farewell, and tugged on her father's shirt. "C'mon, dad, I want to write an ema…"

Kanji and Naoto walked down the street in silence for the most part, not an uneasy one, but they knew it wasn't perhaps the time for it. "So," the boy asked finally, "we're actually goin' to this thing?"

"Yes," the girl behind him answered curtly.

While he wasn't completely against it, he could only imagine the night would be awkward, people from three different families standing together, remembering people the others never knew, or in Naoto's case, no one there ever knew. "…Why?"

"I see little reason why not."

She gave him a pertinent stare, not one of reprimand, one of duty, and he realised she was right. Nanako could probably do with more people being around, as tough as he knew she was. **I know it** **would've helped me…** He held out a hand for his… (**friend?**) to take, which she did with no hesitation. "It's not gonna be easy…" he murmured softly.

"I know," she exhaled slowly, "All the more reason for it. I imagine that it will at least be beneficial to our long term emotional health." She sidled closer to him, slightly amused by their strides being in sync even with the difference in length. _The evening may not be entirely pleasant_, she thought dully, _but with Kanji, my… _It wouldn't do, she had to ask him. "Kanji-kun, how should we define 'us'?"

His eyes lost their focus, the question leaving him a little confused. "Whaddya mean? You're cool an' awesome n' cute as all hell," They both blushed, "and I'm a meathead." He looked to the sky, still lost. "Not in the way Chie-senpai is though…"

"Not what I meant, and for the record, you are much more than a simple 'meathead'." Their cheeks flushed an even deeper red. _So we are both capable so saying things that are frankly embarrassing. _She composed herself, and continued. "What I am trying to understand, is that, we have a relationship, yes?" He nodded dumbly. "Further than that, we are in a relationship, correct?" He nodded again. "But then, what label do we apply to ourselves- lovers, couple, sweethearts, companions?"

He scratched his temple, being on the fine line of being thoughtful or absentminded. "Uh, I guess they all work. Mean the same thing, right?"

"Okay," she acknowledged, stroking her chin, "That is acceptable. But then, to each other, how does it work? Am I your lover? Are you my sweetheart? Or companion, which as before is equally applicable."

She was using words that were so very Naoto; Kanji didn't feel they were really appropriate. "Sounds all weird if ya put it like that." He quickly glanced around on instinct. "Aren't we just, you know…" He lowered his voice, feeling silly as the words came out. "Boyfriend and girlfriend?"

_Ugh._ The detective creased her forehead in disgust. "As I thought." Naoto sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Such terminology seems so juvenile…"

He was a little put off that she was so against the idea. **But it ain't a big deal, **he accepted. "Well, we don't have to use it I guess," he shrugged, "other people can, but who cares?"

This still didn't sit well with her either; something nameless couldn't be defined, and definitions were key, to well, everything. "What shall we call eachother in that case?"

He squinted at her, not quite believing how dense she could be. "Well, you're Naoto, and I'm Kanji. Easy, right?" The simplicity dumbfounded her, but Kanji ruined it slightly with an unwelcome thought jolting his mind. "Unless you want us to use nicknames or something, which I could totally do! You could be uh… er…. Uh…" He struggled, and she did nothing to stop him, perversely curious as to what he would eventually come up with. "…Nao-doll?"

The demeaning nature of the impromptu moniker sent a shiver down her spine, and she shook her head vigorously. "No," she said conclusively, "We are quite alright as we are."

Kanji took her in, like he always had to, all small and cute and everything he ever wanted. "You can say that again," he agreed happily.

They were approaching Junes now, its inoffensive architecture looming ever closer, but the teenagers didn't seem to notice, somehow ending up in each other's arms as they walked, beaming and blushing for god measure. Naoto would never usually find much joy in her small stature, but here, with her head snugly leant on Kanji's chest, she could see the advantages. "This is nice," she murmured, so blissful she wasn't concerned what had started as a thought had ended in speech.

"Yeah," Kanji agreed dreamily. "I could stay like this forever."

Unfortunately, that last comment had the effect of destabilising their perfect equilibrium. Change, as a whole, was always certain, and there were no guarantees they would be equipped to deal when it came crashing down. Entering the superstore's lobby, they gripped each other tighter, convincing themselves the added pressure on their bodies was of their own creation. They entered the elevator without a sound, a dozen horrible scenarios running through their heads.

_What if I have to take up a new case?_

**What if her job takes her away?**

_What if he gets bored with me?_

**What if she thinks I'm too dumb?**

**_What if I hurt them? What if they hurt me?_**

What would they do? How would they cope? The prospect f the future was now throwing their present emotions into a tailspin.

**_Do I love them?_**

When they both answered themselves with a resounding yes, it became the only thought on their minds.

**_Do I really? What does it mean? Do I tell them? How? When? What if-_**

With a chime from the elevator and the opening of the doors, all their fears washed away, seeing their friends sitting at the table. The team that had caught a murderer, a team that had saved from certain death each other time and time again, a team of friends, with bonds that could never be broken. With muted sighs of relief, the couple made their way to the table, to explain themselves, ignoring the gasps loud from the girls of the sight of their interlocked fingers. They didn't need to worry about the future now. They had the ultimate fail-safe. **_If anything happens, _**they thought together, **_I know people who can help…_**

* * *

The sky was dark, clear, and beautiful. The seven dots in air, brighter than any of the stars, all looked majestic; not gloomy at all as Kanji had predicated earlier. The first four represented those you would expect, the Dojima's lost mother, Kanji's father, and Naoto's parents. The other three were unexpected additions, which Souji's included. They represented the few who died during the case, Mr. Morooka, Saki Konishi, and Mayumi Yamano. Those lanterns were sent up with a simple message, that only Souji's two friends were privy to see: 'I'm sorry we couldn't save you.'

The group found the exercise more cathartic than expected, and while their throats felt somewhat clogged, Kanji and Naoto's eyes remained dry. Their leader stood solemnly, away from his family, who were quietly looking back on their memories on the wonderful woman they had both lost. Kanji awkwardly laid a hand on Souji's shoulder. "Ya couldn't have done anything man." He articulated his speech with his other arm. "You just moved to town, there was nothing to go on."

"I know," he sighed, vision fixed on those three points in the sky, "But still, maybe if we fell in the TV a few days earlier, got our personas…" he trailed off.

Naoto took Souji's other side, shaking her head. "I know from experience that line of thinking is dangerous." She too placed a hand on his shoulder. "You performed excellently despite the circumstances, hence why three of us are able to stand here today."

Their leader turned his head downriver, a smile breaking through as he focussed on Nanako. "You're right," he nodded, "I just have to let go a little." He stepped forward, breaking off their contact and turning to face them. "You guys did well today," he transitioned flawlessly, "you actually looked pretty dignified through the rest of the guys' questions."

The girl smiled. "I imagine you laid down some ground rules beforehand."

He raised an eyebrow, and then dropped the pretense. "Maybe a few. Man," he said, stretching out some kinks in his neck, "I'm glad Teddie doesn't know about sex yet, else he would have been a real nightmare…" The pair looked down to sparkling stars making patterns on the river, away from the conversation, making Souji chuckle. "Sorry. I'm gonna leave you two alone for now." He winked, evoking the air of a certain pop star. "A lot on your mind, right?"

His teasing had all but steam boiling from their ears. As he sauntered off to his cousin, whistling innocently all the while, the two of them looked at each other wryly. "Rise would fit well with him," Naoto mused.

"Certainly messes with us like she does," Kanji groaned dryly. "Hey," he started, stepping behind her and wrapping his arms around her torso, "Maybe we could set them up, like they did for us."

The detective could only laugh softly at that plan. "That's a rather… Sweet, idea, but I doubt we have the expertise to pull it off."

The tailor moved his head down, closer to hers. "Pretty sure they didn't either."

"Nevertheless," she asserted, "As noble as their intentions were, in some respects, their antics were most likely a product of boredom." She held up a palm to her side, and stroked his cheek.

"So?" He asked.

She turned her head, a small smile on the corner of her mouth, and looked deep into his eyes. "We have much better things to be doing."

As while they preferred to not think of the specific mechanics of those 'things', as they kissed in the moonlight, the drone of the river giving body to everything around them, their thoughts were as one.

**_Yes we do._**

* * *

_**AN-** _Well, that's your lot! Hope you enjoyed it, and thanks to everyone who's ever read even a chapter, of even better, tell me what they thought! This fic has always been in the back of my mind for around six months now. I'll miss it.

Don't expect more material from me, my life is about to get hectic, but I may throw up the occasional KanNao oneshot her if I think of anything decent. But I'll still be around, so I ask you, if you have a good idea for some KanNao, just write it! I wrote this just because I wanted more, and it's honestly been one of the most fulfilling things I've done with my life! So just do it, you may even enjoy it!

Goodbye for now!


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